Football fans will be barred from attending AFL matches and The Melbourne International Comedy Festival has been cancelled, as efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus begin to cause extreme disruptions in Victoria.

Key points: The disruptions come after Victoria recorded its first case of community-transmitted coronavirus

The disruptions come after Victoria recorded its first case of community-transmitted coronavirus The Melbourne Food and Wine Festival has been postponed and other events such as the International Flower and Garden Show are in limbo

The Melbourne Food and Wine Festival has been postponed and other events such as the International Flower and Garden Show are in limbo Luna Park has also been closed for a fortnight

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a press conference on Friday afternoon that from Monday, Australian governments would be urging the cancellation of all non-essential gatherings of more than 500 people, with exceptions made for education and employment.

In a statement released on Friday night, the AFL announced all matches for both its men's and women's premiership seasons would continue, but no spectators would be allowed to attend.

"The health and safety of fans, players, umpires, officials, partners and communities is the priority, so it is important that we take the advice of those that know best, and that advice right now is to continue with matches but not to host mass gatherings which can put everyone at risk," AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said in a statement.

Earlier, Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF) director Susan Provan announced the festival's cancellation in a statement, saying it was a "difficult decision" to make.

"Our primary concern is the health and welfare of our artists and participants, staff and audiences. Cancelling the Festival is heartbreaking but the only decision possible to support the community's efforts to slow the spread of coronavirus," she said.

A number of comedians took to social media in the wake of the announcement, expressing support for the cancellation but concern about the impact on the industry.

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All remaining runway shows at the Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival have also been cancelled.

Other events that draw crowds in the thousands such as the International Flower and Garden Show are in limbo with a decision on the future of the festival to be made on Saturday, according to a spokesman for the show.

Melbourne's Luna Park has also announced it will close for a fortnight, while Basketball Victoria has suspended all events until further notice including the Country Championships which were to be held in Ballarat this weekend.

The Royal Easter Show in Sydney has also been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, the first time in almost a century the show has been abandoned due to public health concerns.

The announcement comes after Victoria recorded its first case of community transmission of coronavirus, as the state's health authorities expand their list of public exposure sites and schools prepare to deliver classes online.

The number of coronavirus cases in the state has risen to 36, which includes the case of "community transmission", or infection of a person who has not returned from travel overseas or been in known contact with a confirmed case.

Thursday's list of 27 Victorian exposure sites and times included a rugby match at AAMI Park and parts of the MCG, where more than 83,000 people attended the T20 Cricket World Cup Final on Sunday.

Flights added to the exposure list on Friday include Qantas flights QF430 and QF459 between Sydney and Melbourne on March 9, and Emirates flight EK0406 from Dubai to Melbourne on March 10.

People infected with the virus also attended Melbourne cafes Mary Miller Cafe in Fitzroy North and No. 19 in Ascot Vale on March 10.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 45 seconds 45 s The last-minute cancellation of the Australian Grand Prix frustrated fans who were only told as they queued to enter on Friday morning.

Victoria's chief health officer Brett Sutton said visitors to confirmed exposure sites at the times indicated should be aware of their health and seek medical advice if they felt unwell.

"Visitors to locations where cases have been should be aware of the signs and symptoms of COVID-19. Close personal contact is at least 15 minutes face-to-face or more than two hours in the same room," he said.

Authorities said a person who went to the Golden Plains music festival south-west of Melbourne over the weekend and was later diagnosed with COVID-19 was "not unwell" on the day they attended.

"As a result, no further action is required by festival goers," the statement said.

It comes as the ABC understands multiple Victorian schools are preparing for students to work from home next week, anticipating a potential school closure announcement from the State Government.

In a statement addressed to parents on Friday, St Michael's Grammar School in St Kilda said students would be sent home with an iPad and additional online resources so they could continue learning without interruption.

"With the current uncertainty as to the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) on normal school operations, we have taken the step of preparing for the continuity of learning in the event that schools are closed within Victoria," the email said.

"These measures are designed to enable a smooth transition to an Out of Class Learning model."

A letter sent to parents by Clifton Hill Primary School on Friday afternoon also stated the school was preparing to deliver online learning to its students if the school closed.

"The Department of Education will also provide an online website, Learning from Home, that will be available in the event of a government school closure," the letter said.

Several independent schools have also cancelled their Saturday sporting fixtures for the rest of the term, and the Debaters Association of Victoria has suspended all debates until the end of Term 1.

The Victorian Government has been contacted for comment.

Festivals, conferences cancelled at last minute

The Australian Grand Prix was cancelled on Friday morning at the last minute, with organisers offering refunds to angry fans, some of whom were told about the cancellation over a megaphone as they queued to enter the venue.

Several music festivals have been cancelled, including the heavy music Download Festival, which was due to come to Melbourne on March 20.

The festival was set to bring Deftones, Jimmy Eat World and the My Chemical Romance reunion show to Australia.

All existing Download Festival ticket holders will receive a full refund, including booking and payment processing fees, the organisers said in a statement.

Ability Fest, a one-day festival run by Paralympian Dylan Alcott's foundation which raises funds to support young Australians with disabilities, has also been cancelled.

Alcott said in a video on Twitter that he was "absolutely bloody gutted" about the cancellation and people could have their ticket price refunded, or could choose to leave it as a direct donation to the foundation.

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Other major upcoming events in Melbourne include the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show.

A spokesman for the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show said the event's board was in a meeting discussing next steps.

The spokesman would not say how many people had already bought tickets to the show but said 100,000 tickets were sold last year to the five-day event.

"We will follow to the letter the advice, safety remains our top priority," he said.

Victoria's public exposure sites

Tuesday, March 10

Mary Miller Cafe Fitzroy between 12:30pm and 2:00pm

No 19 cafe, Ascot Vale between 8:00am and 9:30am

Emirates flight EK0406 from Dubai to Melbourne arriving at 6:00am

Monday, March 9

Qantas flight QF430 from Melbourne to Sydney departing at 12:00pm

Qantas flight QF459 FROM Sydney to Melbourne departing at 6:00pm

Sunday, March 8

T20 Cricket World Cup Final, Melbourne Cricket Ground, MCC Members Level 2, between 5:15pm and 11:30pm

Myrtle Oval, Macleay Park, North Balwyn between 10:00am and 4:00pm

Ramsden Street Oval, Clifton Hill, between 8:30am and 5:00pm

Virgin Australia flight VA24 from Los Angeles to Melbourne which arrived at 7:00am

Saturday, March 7

Albert Park Hotel between 6:00pm and 10:00pm

South Melbourne Market between 2:00pm and 3:00pm

Coles Waurn Ponds between 1:00pm and 6:00pm

AAMI Park (Rebels vs Lions rugby game) in the evening

Ashburton Park, time unsure

Virgin Australia flight VA24 from Los Angeles to Melbourne, arrived 7:00am

Friday, March 6

Malaysia Airways flight MH0149 from Kuala Lumpur to Melbourne arrived 9:00am

Pho Hung Vuong 2 Vietnamese Restaurant in Richmond between 6:00pm and 7:00pm

Qantas flight QF94 from Los Angeles to Melbourne arrived 9:40am

Coles Waurn Ponds between 8:45am and 10:00am

South Melbourne Market between 8:30am and 10:00am

Emirates flight EK404 from Singapore to Melbourne arrived at 12:15am

Thursday, March 5

Cinema Nova, Carlton, Movie: The Amber Light between 7:30pm and 10:30pm

V/Line train from Southern Cross Station to Geelong departing about 5:40pm

Tuesday, March 3

Wine by Sam in Seymour between 12:30pm and 3:30pm

La Trobe University, Bundoora Campus:

March 3 between 9:00am and 12:00pm

March 4 between 11:00am and 1:00pm

March 5 between 1:00pm and 4:30pm

Monday, March 2

Virgin Australia flight VA682 from Perth to Melbourne which arrived at 4:20pm

VLine train from Geelong to Southern Cross departing about 5:40pm

Metro train from Southern Cross to Camberwell departing between 7:00pm and 7:15pm

Toorak Clinic, 575 Malvern Rd, Toorak for patients and staff that attended the clinic any time between March 2 and March 6

United Airlines flight UA0060 from San Francisco to Melbourne arrived 9:30am

Singapore Airlines flight SQ237 from Singapore to Melbourne arrived 10:50am

Malindo Air flight OD177 from Denpasar to Melbourne arrived 10:50am (Singapore time)