Coronavirus is taking over Australia, with schools closing, concerts cancelled and an economic slowdown imminent.

And people are already ignoring requests from medical practitioners to quarantine themselves for the good of the community.

State and federal governments are hoping to contain the spread by having those who have been exposed to others with the virus isolate themselves.

Kicking off last month, the Federal Government asked those returning from China to stay at home, and calls for quarantine have expanded. This week 69 staff and students from a school in Sydney's north were told to self-isolate.

Right now advice from both state and federal health bodies is for everyone who has been in contact with someone with COVID-19, or who has been to China, Iran, Italy or South Korea in the past two weeks, to separate themselves from the rest of the community.

A Federal Department of Health spokesperson said the majority of isolation being undertaken across Australia so far was on a voluntary, consensual basis.

"Australians understand that abiding by recommendations to isolate is important to protect their health and the health of others, including their family and friends," the spokesperson said.

NSW Health medical epidemiologist Christine Selvey this week said she recognised self-isolation was "a big ask of people" and advised people to "try to take advantage of the time to do things that you've been wanting to do".

"Try to look at it from a positive point of view," she said.

But once a voluntary arrangement becomes a formal order, failure to comply could cost someone thousands of dollars and even lead to time in prison.

Inconsistency across states

The most prominent breach reported so far was the case of a man in Tasmania who went to work at a hotel in Hobart the day after he was told to isolate.

It prompted Tasmanian Health Minister Sarah Courtney to declare the Government was considering stronger compliance measures to reduce the risk of people spreading the virus.

Under section 42 of Tasmania's public health act, the maximum fine is $8,400.

That is much less than in other states.

In New South Wales, the state Health Department confirmed breaching an order to isolate carried a maximum penalty of $11,000.

Unlike Tasmania however, the penalty in New South Wales could also involve six months' imprisonment.

In South Australia, the maximum penalty for failing to comply is $25,000.

In Western Australia, those ignoring a public health order face imprisonment of 12 months or a fine of $50,000.

A Queensland Health spokesperson told the ABC all notices issued so far requested affected persons to "voluntarily" isolate themselves but a "handful" of people had had to be reminded of the responsibilities they had agreed to.

"While everyone so far has been cooperative, we are taking this seriously," they said.

Who polices isolation orders?

When contacted about whether they were considering charges for the Hobart man, Tasmanian police referred the ABC to the state's health department, which was not prepared to comment.

Despite the voluntary nature of notices in Queensland, police have already started performing spot checks in that state alongside the Red Cross, "to ensure our home-isolators are feeling well and have the support they need", according to a Queensland Health spokesperson.

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But while nationalist Chinese media boasts of police using thermal imaging to detect those with the virus, efforts to ensure isolation is undertaken in Australia are more cooperative.

"If a person is suspected to have breached the notice they had voluntarily agreed to, we'll initially work closely with the person to ensure they not only understand their obligations, but also the importance and seriousness of isolating under the current global circumstances," the Queensland Health spokesperson said.

"Any further failure to comply may be subject to enforced isolation and receiving fines of up to $13,345 and other penalties.

"We have not been required to take any action of this sort to date."

There may have been few reported breaches of isolation arrangements so far, but the prospect of even greater penalties looms if compliance becomes an issue.

The Commonwealth has the power to issue a "human biosecurity control order" under the biosecurity act.

If such an order is imposed, individuals who fail to comply face penalties of about $63,000, five years in prison, or both.

The order has never been used.