Aussies are being warned to prepare for the “long haul”, with the possibility that extreme measures could last for up to 18 months until a coronavirus vaccine is developed.

Dozens of Australian passengers onboard an international cruise ship have aborted the vessel in lifeboats as they make the mad dash home amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The ship, MV Columbus – owned by Cruise and Maritime Voyages – has hundreds of Australians onboard after recent stops in Sydney, Cairns and Darwin.
The ship, which can carry 1,400 passengers, was this week ordered to curtail its world cruise and sail back to its original port in Tilbury, England.
Passengers were given the choice to spend the next four weeks at sea while the ship makes its way back to England, or to join a nearby Australian cruise ship bound for its point of origin in Fremantle, Western Australia.
According to a passenger who spoke to news.com.au, 178 people elected to leave the international ship after arriving off Phuket Island and join the Vasco De Gama in Thailand on Wednesday, local time.
Sixty seven European and British passengers on the Australian vessel made the switch to the Columbus. In spectacular scenes, the passenger exchange was carried out by a fleet of lifeboats over a full day.
“We have almost four weeks sailing back to London, while they will take only 10 days to sail back to Australia, so we will be getting some of their supplies,” the source said.
1/3 Cruise & Maritime Voyages has today (Friday 13 March 2020) announced all cruise operations will be suspended until Friday 24 April 2020.Due to the escalating global pandemic outbreak of the Covid-19 coronavirus, updated Government advisories
— Cruise & Maritime (@CMVoyages) March 13, 2020
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2/3 and the impending lockdown of many ports around the world, Cruise & Maritime Voyages has confirmed the temporary suspension of all worldwide cruise operations for embarkations taking place from today for six weeks until 24th April 2020.
— Cruise & Maritime (@CMVoyages) March 13, 2020
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But despite the disruption to their travel plans, the mood among passengers remained calmed, according to the source.
“We chatted to some Australians last night who were leaving and they were very philosophical,” he said.
“No panic, no anger….just a bit sad that they missed the Great Wall of China, the pyramids, the valley of the Kings, and so on.”
Another passenger, Tecwyn Vaughan Jones, who lectured at the American College in Bangor, told British media there was concern among some passengers about the people being transferred to the Australian-bound ship potentially having the virus.
Our ship will be totally full then and current passengers are scared these new passengers might bring the virus on board,” he said.