Senior high school students from China will be allowed to travel to Australia under a strict exemption announced by the Federal Government.

Key points: Year 11 and 12 students from mainland China, excluding from Hubei province, will be considered on a case-by-case basis

Year 11 and 12 students from mainland China, excluding from Hubei province, will be considered on a case-by-case basis It is not a compulsory plan and cases will require the support of the students' respective states or territories and schools

It is not a compulsory plan and cases will require the support of the students' respective states or territories and schools The Government says it will look to extend similar exemptions to Chinese university students next week

On Saturday Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan revealed Year 11 and 12 students from mainland China, excluding from Hubei province, would be considered on a case-by-case basis.

If the states and territories agree, students will undergo a 13-step approval process to come to Australia for their schooling.

The cases will also require the support of the students' schools.

Chief medical officer Brendan Murphy said it was not a compulsory plan.

On February 1, the Federal Government announced a ban on anyone arriving from, or transiting through, mainland China from coming to Australia, unless they had been outside China for 14 days.

The ban excluded Australian citizens, permanent residents and immediate family members.

The Federal Government has extended the ban twice and it will now run until at least February 29.

As for the estimated almost 100,00 university students stuck in China or other countries, they will have to wait for any similar help from the Federal Government.

"We will obviously, based on the medical advice, next week also then look at international tertiary education students," Mr Tehan said.

Virus contained in Australia

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said medical authorities believed the virus had been contained in Australia and was slowing globally.

Professor Murphy said allowing a small number of people in from mainland China would not pose a significant risk.

"The good news in the last few weeks from mainland China has been that there have been very, very few exported cases of this disease from mainland China — the last official count I saw was only about six," he said.

The Federal Government said the number of confirmed cases in Australia's general population was 15.

A total of six Australians evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan had also been infected but were in a stable condition and being treated.