Shoppers who were in a Tasmanian Woolworths store are being warned after a man with the coronavirus visited on the weekend.
The bloke wasn't diagnosed properly until Monday this week, however was told to self-isolate until tests could be done.
Instead, the unnamed man went to the Woolies in Launceston, on the corner of Wellington and York Streets, at 10pm for 15 minutes.
While there is a low chance of people who were inside the supermarket at the same time contracting the virus, they're being told to watch for symptoms over the next two weeks.
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Tasmanian Director of Public Health Dr Mark Veitch said: "The risk to anyone who was in the supermarket at that time is very low. It is disappointing that the man did not follow the self-quarantine requirements.
"However, it is appropriate to fully inform staff and customers who were there.
"I am confident that all public health processes were followed appropriately, and it is disappointing that the man did not follow the self-quarantine requirements."
Dr Veitch added that people who were in the store in the days after the man visited will be fine. The coronavirus can be transmitted via handling things like money or touching hand rails however it's difficult for it to be transmitted in the air.
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There are fears that if the virus continues to infect populations, it could cause scores of people to take time off work, which will hit national economies around the world very hard.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned that a fifth of the UK workforce could be off sick at the peak of the coronavirus epidemic.
The government's Covid-19 plan, which was revealed by Mr Johnson in a press conference this morning, read: "The current data seem to show that we are all susceptible to catching this disease, and thus it is also more likely than not that the UK will be significantly affected.
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"It is highly likely we will see a growing number of UK cases. Our country remains extremely well prepared, as it has been since the outbreak began in Wuhan several months ago."
In a worst case scenario, the government is warning that 80 percent of the population could be infected. However, Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said the infection rate is likely to be lower than this. Whitty went on to say that in the UK 'probably around one percent of people who get this virus might end up dying'.
Featured Image Credit: VakriegerTopics: News, coronavirus, Australia