A 75-year-old woman who was a passenger on the Ruby Princess cruise ship has become the second person in Queensland to die from COVID-19, as the State Government bans house parties and considers building makeshift hospitals.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk revealed that the woman died in Caboolture Hospital, north of Brisbane.

Ms Palaszczuk said the number of confirmed cases in Queensland had risen by 31 to 656 overnight.

Speaking at the press conference with Ms Palaszczuk, Queensland's Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young announced an immediate ban on gatherings of more than 10 people at homes.

The Ruby Princess was docked in Sydney while several passengers had COVID-19. ( Instagram: Supplied )

She said the police would have the power to break up any party, and the measures were similar to what had been introduced elsewhere around the country.

"We do of course have some situations in Queensland where there are larger numbers of people living together, so it doesn't apply there, although we would ask that those people not invite any additional people into their home," she said.

"For people who have less than 10 people living in their home ordinarily, they really need to minimise the number of people they invite over.

"The maximum number that can be present in an individual's home is 10."

Government considering showgrounds, mining camps as hospitals

Meanwhile, Ms Palaszczuk said the Government had been creating a back-up plan to ensure there are enough hospital beds if the situation escalates.

She said the Health Department was exploring options to set up temporary hospitals across the state to treat people who did not require intensive care.

The Queensland Government is considering turning the Royal International Convention Centre in Brisbane into a makeshift hotel. ( ABC News: Josh Bavas )

Locations would include the Royal International Convention Centre at Brisbane's RNA showgrounds, mining camps, convention centres and vacant hotels.

Ms Palaszczuk said when it came to the RNA showgrounds, it would be a case of history repeating itself.

It was used as a treatment centre for patients during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic.

The showgrounds were used during the Spanish flu crisis a century ago. ( Twitter: Annastacia Palaszczuk )

"We are now a lot more sophisticated than having to put people in tents at the showgrounds," she said.

"We can quickly convert this site into a functioning hospital.

"But if Queenslanders do the right thing and self-isolate and we are able to flatten the curve it will not come to this."

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As the pandemic spreads across the globe, governments around the world are scrambling to provide enough beds for the sick.

In the UK, the National Health Service (NHS) is in the process of converting the ExCel London convention centre into a temporary hospital which could cater for thousands of patients.

In the United States, a 62,922-tonne navy hospital ship USNS Comfort is being sent to New York City to ease the demand on local hospitals