Coronavirus Australia live coverage: Death toll rises to five as COVID-19 cases surge, emergencies declared

Daily life could be disrupted for up to six months in Australia, as a top official warns coronavirus could lead to 15 million infections and up to 150,000 deaths. 

• It's the million dollar question: How long will all of this last?

• According to Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Australians can expect to have their lives disrupted by the coronavirus for at least six months, as the nation hunkers down to combat the spread.

• "This will be a difficult six months. It could be longer. It could be sooner than that," he told ABC radio on Monday.

• The acknowledgement of  a timeframe comes as states and territories declare public health emergencies, giving officials greater powers to detain people or restrict movements. The Coalition leader is also looking at ways to further boost the economy following the announcement of an initial $17.6billion stimulus package.

Health authorities have warned there will be an "exponential increase" in coronavirus cases in the next few weeks after a spike of new cases today.

Since 11am yesterday there have been another 37 cases of Covid-19 diagnosed in NSW, bringing the state-wide total to 171 cases since the outbreak started. Nationally the total stands at 368.

A second round of financial stimulus is being fast-tracked as the coronavirus crisis roils financial markets and batters the economy.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is reportedly locked in emergency meetings with Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Finance Minister Mathias Cormann hammering out the details.

It comes only days after the government unveiled a $17.6 billion package, including individual cash payments of $750 to around 6.5 million Australians.

Victoria has declared a state of emergency after 14 new virus cases were confirmed overnight, bringing the national tally to 350 as the death toll rises to five.

Mr Morrison is facing growing pressure to close schools and universities after announcing new measures to slow the spread of the disease on Sunday, including mandatory 14-day self isolation for all international travellers entering the country.

People who breach the new rules face fines of up to $13,000 and jail time.

RELATED: Follow more coronavirus updates here

Non-essential gatherings of more than 500 people have been banned but Mr Morrison said shutting schools would do more harm than good.

There are now 368 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Australia.

Of those, 171 are in NSW, 71 in Victoria, 68 in Queensland, 20 in SA, 28 in WA, seven in Tasmania, one in the NT and two in the ACT.

Six people have died – one in WA, three in NSW and two in Queensland.

Follow our live, rolling coverage of the coronavirus pandemic below.

Originally published as Coronavirus Australia live coverage: Death toll rises to five as COVID-19 cases surge, emergencies declared