Health authorities expect up to one in four Queenslanders will contract coronavirus in the first wave of a likely outbreak.

Eight more people have tested positive to COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, taking the state's total to 35.

Health Minister Steven Miles said today's tally included the first confirmed cases of the disease in regional Queensland.

"The news overnight is that we have eight additional confirmed positive cases here in Queensland — that's the largest number we've had in a single day after the previous record being yesterday of seven new cases," he said.

"What is also relevant is that amongst these eight, are the first two outside South East Queensland — one in Rockhampton and one in Kingaroy.

"Our advice to Queenslanders remains the same: if you become unwell within 14 days of travelling overseas, you should be tested for this novel coronavirus."

Queensland chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young said people need to be vigilant even though most cases would not be severe.

"Now 80 per cent of them will get a very mild disease — they'll possibly hardly even know they've got anything — that is a problem because they can still spread it," she said.

"That's why I've been saying for people to be really, really alert that 99 per cent of the time they'd brush off and think 'oh maybe I'm just a bit tired'."

She said 20 per cent of the state's population would "do worse" when it came to symptoms.

"They're the numbers that we're preparing for in our hospital system — that is what we're preparing for, doesn't mean that's what we're going to get," she said.

She said she understands that a lot of people want to be tested.

"There is no point being tested if you don't have symptoms," she said.

"It takes a lot of resources and it also means that well people are turning up and mingling with unwell people and that is the last thing I want to happen.

"My advice is, if you are well, don't go to a fever clinic."

She said people only needed to be tested if they developed fever and respiratory symptoms.

"At this point in Queensland, the cases have been tracked back to someone who's been overseas or they're a contact of someone who's been overseas," she said.

"If you've got a mild illness and you haven't been a traveller, and you haven't come into contact with someone who's confirmed with the disease, you do not need testing."

Brisbane childcare centre closed

A childcare centre on Brisbane's north side has been closed for cleaning after a child came in direct contact with someone who had been diagnosed with coronavirus.

In a statement, a spokeswoman for Only About Children at McDowall said the centre would reopen next week.

"The OAC McDowall campus has been closed today after notification was received that a child who attends the campus had been in direct contact with a confirmed case of the coronavirus," she said.

"The child and family are at this stage unconfirmed cases and are being requested to be tested for the virus.

"As a precaution the decision was made to close the OAC McDowall campus for the rest of today and a full sanitisation clean of the facilities will be undertaken over the weekend.

"It is anticipated that the campus will re-open on Monday March 16, but this will be confirmed to all enrolled families on Sunday March 15."