The next steps in Australia's response to the coronavirus epidemic

Australia is heading towards the next stage of its pandemic plan to combat the coronavirus outbreak.

In a matter of weeks, spectators could potentially be banned from sporting events, there could be restrictions on public transport, and mass closures of schools, nursing homes and childcare centres.

The decisions to be made are all dependent on how quickly the disease spreads, but Australia's chief doctor Brendan Murphy says closing the borders isn't enough.

"It's no longer possible by isolating the country to stop the further development of cases," he said.

Current travel bans have stopped people booking holidays, forcing Qantas to cancel more flights.

9News understands the airline is looking at rejigging routes to Europe to miss some Asian airports, instead going through Dubai.

And more aircraft, including A380s could be mothballed until the crisis ends.

Internationally, the risk is at its highest from Iran, where the fresh wave of global infections has largely come from.

British health authorities are now conceding a mass outbreak in the UK is imminent.

And the World Health Organisation has warned it's time to pull out all the stops.

"This is not a one-way street," the WHO's Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

"This epidemic can be pushed back."

Sacred religious sites are emptied of people, with Mecca and Bethlehem closed to pilgrims.