Here's what you need to know this morning.

School closed over COVID-19 case

Normanhurst West Public School on Sydney's upper north shore will be closed today and tomorrow after a staff member tested positive to coronavirus.

The NSW Department of Education said staff and students who had close contact with the person had been advised to self-isolate for 14 days.

The school will be thoroughly cleaned before reopening.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said schools in the state will remain open, but has encouraged parents to keep their children at home to contain the spread of coronavirus.

Non-essential service closures

Empty tables at a restaurant in Campbells Cove in Sydney. ( AAP Image: James Gourley )

Last night, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced from midday today many non-essential services will be shut down indefinitely.

The decision means pubs, clubs, cinemas, casinos, gyms and most places of worship will close their doors.

Restaurants and cafes will only be permitted to serve takeaways.

From tomorrow, there will also be no personal appearances in the NSW Supreme Court and parties will have to use video and teleconference facilities.

University staff member tests positive

The University of Sydney has confirmed one of its staff members who worked at its Camperdown campus has contracted coronavirus.

The employee worked at the National Health and Medical Research Council trial centre.

They had no close or casual contact with university staff, students, health workers or visitors and did not come to work when they were unwell or infectious.

The university said the staff member was recovering at home and further action was not required.

Cruise ships to be held in port

NSW Health has been forced to improve its compliance regime for passengers disembarking from cruise ships in Sydney.

Last week, nearly 3,000 passengers from the Ruby Princess Cruise ship were allowed to disembark at Circular Quay and now 26 of those people have tested positive to COVID-19.

The health department said it would now go further than the national protocol and hold all cruise ships in port until any patients highlighted as having respiratory issues had been tested for the virus.

Under the national protocol, unless there are concerns about possible COVID-19 cases, the ship can continue its voyage while samples are tested.