Coronavirus Australia live updates: 'Disruptive' COVID-19 measures to last 'at least' six months, top doc says

A top medical official says Australians must get used to "disruptive and intrusive" measures for "at least" the next six months.

Australia’s Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy has warned Australians will be facing COVID-19 for the long haul, saying we should expect “disruptive and intrusive” measures for at least six months.

"People who say we can lockdown the country for four weeks and send everyone home, close the schools, are not being realistic," he told A Current Affair this evening. “At the end of those four weeks, you have to undo all that, and then the virus can break out in a more aggressive way.

"We are trying to get the community adjusted to the fact that this is a long haul,” he said, adding that Australians would have to “change the way we behave”.

He said forcing people to stay home was a “possibility in the future” in sections if a small part of the country experienced a “very significant” outbreak.

READ MORE: Follow the latest coronavirus updates

READ MORE: Australia's coronavirus cases and deaths

568 cases of coronavirus have now been confirmed across Australia, with 267 in New South Wales, 121 in Victoria, 94 in Queensland, 37 in South Australia, 35 in Western Australia, 10 in Tasmania, three in the ACT and one in the Northern Territory.

Six people have died – one in Western Australia and five in New South Wales – and 43 have recovered.

We've wrapped up our live coverage for the day, here's how it unfolded below.