New laws will be passed to cover privacy fears about the coronavirus tracing app after experts and the opposition raised concerns police could get access to the data.

The federal government will introduce legislation in the May parliamentary sitting period, increasing the likelihood that emergency Biosecurity Act powers could govern the app for several weeks before control is handed over to the legislature.

Government sources said on Thursday that while the details were not yet finalised, legislation would be introduced to govern the app, which will be able to identify when users have been within 1.5 metres of other users for more than 15 minutes.

The laws to be introduced will expressly protect the data and deal with privacy concerns.