These are the first cases of person-to-person transmission within Australia. All previous 28 Australian cases were people who were infected while they were travelling in China, Iran or onboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship.

On Monday morning, 80 people in NSW were waiting for coronavirus test results. The number of people assessed for the virus fluctuated daily, Mr Hazzard said.

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NSW Health is also searching for the unsuspecting passengers who were seated near a woman diagnosed with the new coronavirus on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Sydney.

The woman in her 50s became the sixth confirmed case of COVID-19 in NSW after returning to Australia from Iran.

She arrived in Sydney on flight QR908 from Iran at 6.50pm on February 23 and started to feel ill almost immediately.

"Anyone on that flight … should be very aware that there was someone on the flight who had the coronavirus," Mr Hazzard said. 

"If you have any doubts or thoughts that [it] may be the coronavirus, please ring ahead to your GP or ring ahead to the local emergency department so they are aware and can take the appropriate steps to keep everyone safe."