Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the government has received “very strong interest” from Australians wanting to be evacuated from China to Christmas Island, as the World Health Organisation declares the coronavirus an international public health emergency.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison at the National Press Club this week. Credit:Sitthixay Ditthavong

Speaking in Sydney before convening cabinet’s national security committee for an update on the evacuation plan, Mr Morrison said Australia was well equipped to deal with the potential pandemic.

“All of the issues, isolation, case management, contact tracing, prevention of onward spread, active surveillance, early detection, Australia has been doing these things and will continue to do," he said.

Despite several of the 600 Australians trapped in Wuhan expressing their reluctance to be transferred to Christmas Island for quarantine, Mr Morrison said there had "been very strong interest in participating in these arrangements" and the government was continuing to work on arrangements to pull Australians out of China's Hubei province.