Travel agency Flight Centre will close up to 100 stores and has scrapped its earnings guidance as 23 new cases are confirmed across New South Wales and Victoria.
The company said on Friday that the stores will close before 30 June and sales staff will transfer to other stores, as part of moves to slash costs.
Flight Centre brands include Escape Travel and Student Flights.
Managing director Graham Turner said reducing costs was priority in an uncertain environment.
Flight Centre. Source: AAP
He reported significant softening in bookings, which he expected to continue into April at least.
Management told the share market that while early trends had been in line with expectations, the virus' spread and travel restrictions made it more difficult to predict the full-year impact.
NSW and Victoria announce new cases
Fourteen new people have tested positive for the coronavirus in New South Wales, including an aged-care worker, two travellers from the United States and a 48-year-old woman with no recent travel history or contact with a known COVID-19 case.
The total number of confirmed cases in Australia's hardest-hit state has now reached 92.
NSW Health also calling for passengers who flew on Emirates flight EK414 from Dubai to Sydney on the 8 March, and were seated in rows 5 to 9, to monitor for symptoms after a 27-year-old man travelled from Switzerland while unwell.
Victoria has also recorded it's first known case of community transmission as the number of confirmed cases in the state rose to 36.
Of the nine new cases, seven had recently travelled overseas including a Formula One team member.
Victorian Chief Medical Officer Brett Sutton said he was expecting to see more coronavirus cases in the near future.
“For the virus to spread, extended close personal contact is most likely required. But visitors to locations where cases have been should be aware of the signs and symptoms of COVID-19. Close personal contact is at least 15 minutes face-to-face or more than 2 hours in the same room,” Professor Sutton said.
“At the moment, we urge the public to be mindful and take steps to minimise the risk of COVID-19."
Victoria health authorities also said in the statement on Friday that the person who attended the Golden Plains music festival before testing positive was not unwell while at the event and other attendees did not need to take any action.
Passengers on Qantas flights QF430 from Melbourne to Sydney and QF459 from Sydney to Melbourne on 9 March and Emirates flight EK0406 from Dubai to Melbourne on 10 March have been advised to contact health professionals if they become unwell.
Virgin services cut, cabin worker infected
Virgin Australia will slash capacity on domestic and international routes, with the airline also confirming one of its cabin crew has coronavirus.
CEO Paul Scurrah said the woman fell ill after returning from overseas.
She's now in isolation and passengers who came into contact with her are being traced but Mr Scurrah wouldn't reveal which flight or flights are of concern.
He refused to answer when asked if the worker had been on a Gold Coast to Sydney flight.
"We are not confirming the flight this cabin crew was on," he said, but added everyone who may be at risk was being tracked down.
A Virgin Australia plane is seen at Sydney Airport, Wednesday February 28, 2018. Source: AAP Image/Peter Rae
The airline has also revealed it will cut capacity on some routes as travel dries up amid the outbreak.
"The group is taking action to reduce capacity in the international markets it operates in and reduce domestic capacity in line with weakened demand," the airline said in a statement on Friday.
SA naval defence worker tests positive
A worker at submarine maintenance group ASC in Adelaide has tested positive for the coronavirus.
The company says all employees who had direct contact with the individual have been notified and gone into self-isolation.
"ASC is also taking the extra step of closing the building that the individual was working from, to have it professionally cleaned, as an extra precaution," it said in a statement on Friday.
The building's closure, at the Osborne North site, has also forced some staff to work from home or take leave.
COVID-19. Source: Getty Images/R Franca/EyeEm
It was not yet clear if the case was in addition to the 12 previously confirmed in South Australia.
Three of those were reported on Thursday and two on Wednesday.
All but one had been linked to recent overseas travel while the case of a woman aged in her 40s was still being investigated.
Five more coronavirus cases in WA
Five more cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Western Australia, bringing the total in the state to 14.
"We believe they've come from overseas but we'll need to check that," WA chief health officer Andrew Robertson told ABC radio on Friday.
Dr Robertson said 800 to 1000 tests were being done per day but many people seeking them didn't need to be tested.
"We're turning away about 50 per cent of the people who come to the COVID clinics."
Meanwhile, WA Premier Mark McGowan said he was very concerned about people going to and returning from Bali as Indonesia appeared to be under-reporting its cases.
"I think we need to take proper advice and potentially take further action on that very soon," Mr McGowan told reporters.
