The small band of volunteers usually greets passengers when a ship docks in the port, but with the global outbreak of coronavirus their activities have been culled.

"The decision has not been made lightly and is in response to updated Australian Government advice in relation to the coronavirus (COVID-19) health issue," PoN said in a statement.

"The health, wellbeing and safety of all Port of Newcastle staff, including our volunteers, is the highest priority.

"Whilst the advice is that the relative risk for Port of Newcastle is low, given the primarily domestic cruise ships visiting, the decision to withdraw volunteers has been made with the highest sense of caution and in the best interests of volunteers."

There are four ships still to visit this season, including the Voyager of the Seas on March 17, both the Celebrity Solstice and Viking Orion on March 21 and the Golden Princess on April 4. The ships will arrive from either Sydney after the start of a trip or from the Pacific Islands.

Meanwhile, the University of Newcastle has told staff they will have to take a fortnight's annual leave to self-isolate upon return from private travel to China, Italy, South Korea or Iran.

"We are asking staff to factor in an additional two weeks of annual leave for self-isolation if they decide to holiday in a country where the Australian Government's travel advisory is listed as 'do not travel to' before they depart," pro vice-chancellor Professor Liz Burd said.

"If staff travel to countries not listed as 'do not travel to' at the time of departure but this changes while they are away, they are required to self-isolate on their return. In this instance this isolation period can be taken as personal leave."

The university is advising students to stay away from campuses if they have any flu-like symptoms and not to worry about mandatory attendance requirements introduced this year.

"If they notify their course supervisor that they're unwell then they will be very understanding and will support them to make sure that they are not penalised in any way," Professor Burd said.

"What we're recommending students do is don't submit an adverse circumstances form. At a point of time where somebody doesn't meet the [80 per cent mandatory attendance] requirement, then they can submit it."

Professor Burd said the university was monitoring a small number of students who had chosen to "self-isolate", but had been in a "travel-based environment".

"They've probably got the normal flu rather than the COVID 19 virus but what we don't want is people not being certain and catching common flu," she said.

"It's just going to confuse things and create more people wanting tests than we need at this time."

Professor Burd said students coughing in classrooms had caused "a lot of distress". "It's some of those concerns that are making it quite hard for students to concentrate in lectures."

We have removed our paywall from our stories about the coronavirus. This is a rapidly changing situation and we need to make sure our readers are as informed as possible. If you would like to support our journalists you can subscribe here.