A Chinese student who snuck into Australia has bragged about how he flouted the coronavirus travel ban, putting thousands in danger of contracting the deadly disease.

He admitted to lying to immigration officials by claiming he arrived from Hong Kong, when he in fact flew to Sydney from mainland China.

The government brought in emergency measures over the weekend which bar any passenger who has left or passed through mainland China from entering Australia.

There are already 12 people in Australia with coronavirus, which has killed 362 worldwide and threatens to become a global pandemic.

Daily Mail Australia alerted the Department of Home Affairs and the Australian Border Force to the breach, but did they did not respond to requests for comment.

The student claimed he flew into Brisbane airport (pictured, other passengers arriving at the coastal airport before the ban)

The student, whose name was given as Xiao K, started his journey in China, changing planes in Hong Kong before arriving in Brisbane.

Revealing he lied on his yellow incoming passenger card, he bragged that he quickly crossed out 'China' as his place of departure and instead wrote 'Hong Kong'.

Worryingly, he boasted that customs officials didn't even check his luggage.

'Fortunately, they were focusing on people.

'In the end, they didn't even check my suitcase.'

The student admitted he had no idea about the China ban, but when he found out about it decided to flout the rules and enter Australia illegally (pictured, the first of series of texts)

In an incriminating message (pictured) the student says he changed his arrival card to say 'Hong Kong' instead of 'China' as his original place of departure

THE SIMPLE TRICK A CHINESE STUDENT USED TO FOOL IMMIGRATION Passengers arriving in Australia are required under Australian law to identify themselves and provide certain information. When you arrive in Australia from a foreign country, you are given a passenger card to fill in. One of the boxes asks for the name of the 'country in which you boarded the flight'. But this Chinese student wrote 'Hong Kong' in this section, despite starting his journey in China. With this, he claims authorities did not question him and simply waved him through. If he had written 'China' in the box, he would have been stopped and questioned. Advertisement

The student claimed he didn't know about the ban when he first boarded a plane in an unknown Chinese airport.

He claimed to have thought he would have to go into isolation for 14 days when on Australia soil, but was soon informed about the travel ban by a friend.

Before going through immigration in Australian, he then exploited an airport loophole to change his arrival card.

'When I was clearing immigration a customs officer checked my arrival card,' he explained in a series of damning texts seen by Daily Mail Australia.

'Because I’d heard the news about the China entry after landing I’d changed mine to say Hong Kong.

'They looked at me and told me to go through a different channel with my luggage.

'They just let me go through.'

He was then asked if he meant the immigration declaration card.

The student admitted he was waved through immigration in a series of shocking text messages, which have been translated by Daily Mail Australia

China has gone into lockdown after the virus claimed more than 400 lives (pictured, students in Beijing)

Australia is one of many countries organising evacuation flights home (pictured, Singaporeans boarding a charter flight)

The travel ban measures were announced on the same day Qantas (airline staff pictured on Friday) revealed plans to suspend its direct flights to mainland China

He replied: 'Yes. The yellow one. I crossed off "China" and changed it to "Hong Kong".'

Asked how he felt after flagrantly disregarding the rules, which are intended to keep Australians safe, he replied: 'Really lucky!'

The Department of Foreign Affairs has raised its travel advice for China to the highest level of 'do not travel'.

From February 1, foreign nationals who have left mainland China are not allowed entry into Australia.

Visitors flying in from mainland China are being denied entry to Australia. Pictured are passengers at Brisbane Airport on Friday, just hours before the ban came into place

Three more cases of coronavirus (pictured) confirmed on Saturday took Australia's tally to 12

The student claims he left China on February 1, just hours after the ban came into place, and arrived into Brisbane at 11.45pm.

People arriving from mainland China, not just the Hubei province, are required to self-isolate for 14 days after they leave the country.

But for this student, it was only a matter of hours - potentially leaving the public at serious risk of harm if he were to be infected.

Permanent residents and their immediate family are still able to enter Australia, as well as airline crews who have been using appropriate personal protective equipment.

The beefed up measures came on the same day three more coronavirus cases - one in Melbourne and two in South Australia - were confirmed, taking the national tally to 12.

Qantas also announced on Saturday that it was suspending its two direct services to mainland China from February 9 until March 28.

'Our first responsibility is to Australians,' Mr Morrison told reporters on Saturday afternoon.

'As of Saturday, all travellers arriving out of mainland China are being asked to self-isolate for a period of 14 days from the time they depart the country.

'In addition to that, there'll be advanced screening and reception arrangements put into place at the major airports to facilitate identifying and providing this information and ensuring the appropriate precautions are being put in place,' Mr Morrison said.

A man wearing a face mask cycles past the body of a man who collapsed and died on a pavement in Wuhan on January 30 (pictured), the city at the epicentre of the outbreak

'There's a half a million masks that will be provided to those airports to support those who are coming off these flights as well as those who are with those coming from those flights.

'There'll also be thermometers which are provided to those airports and we're working with those airport authorities now to ensure we can put those arrangements in place.'

The announcement came just hours after two more victims of the virus were identified in South Australia.

A Chinese couple in their 60s from the city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak, were visiting family in the state.

SA Health Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier said: 'They have followed all of the procedures and information that they have been asked to through communicable disease control branch.

People wearing face masks queue for hours at a cosmetic store on Monday to buy sanitary masks in Hong Kong amid fears of a coronavirus outbreak (pictured)

'They developed symptoms and were tested at a public hospital before self-isolating at home.

'We do not think there have been any contacts with anybody else in the state and they have been in self-isolation for the required time.'

A fourth case in Victoria was also confirmed on Saturday.

The woman aged is in her 20s, lives in Melbourne and is at home recovering.

She returned from Wuhan on January 25 and fell ill two days later.

The first Australian citizens evacuated from the Chinese city of Wuhan have landed on Christmas Island (pictured arriving in WA before transferring to a charter flight for last leg)

Two Australians wore face masks as they spoke about their rescue flight out of Wuhan (pictured)

Health authorities insisted she was not infectious on the flight, and has remained in isolation since being tested.

The Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed tests proved humans caught it the virus from animals at the Huanan Seafood Wholesales Market in Wuhan city.

The highly-contagious virus has infected more than 17,000 people worldwide.

It has been declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Footage emerged showing the Australian citizens aboard the Qantas rescue flight (pictured) which left Wuhan on Monday

Those aboard the rescue flight from Wuhan were met by army and medics and taken to buses ahead of a 14-day quarantine on Christmas Island (pictured)

Australia citizens trapped in Wuhan have now been evacuated and have landed on Christmas Island, where they will enter a quarantine for 14 days.

It is understood that 72 people were on board the first of four charter flights expected to take more than 240 evacuees to the Indian Ocean island.

The Airbus left Western Australia's RAAF Base Learmonth, near Exmouth, on Monday night, and touched down on Christmas Island about 9pm local time.

Those on board were among the 243 who had earlier been evacuated from Wuhan, the epicentre of the deadly coronavirus, on a Qantas flight.