Passengers arriving in Australia from China virus epicentre to be screened

The chief medical officer says while additional safety measures will be taken, the risk posed to Australians by a new strain of coronavirus remains low.

Three direct flights each week from Wuhan into Sydney will have extra biosecurity officers deployed to provide information on coronavirus symptoms. Source: Getty Images/AAP

The risk posed to Australians by a new strain of coronavirus infecting hundreds of people across the world is low, the nation's chief medical officer says.

The new strain of virus can be transmitted between humans, and the total number of cases in the world stands at 222.

Travelers wear face masks as they walk outside of the Beijing Railway Station in Beijing. Source: AP

"There is no need for alarm and the risk to the Australian public from this novel coronavirus remains relatively low," Brendan Murphy told reporters on Tuesday.

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