Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy says he is "increasingly confident" Australia will avoid the kind of devastation the coronavirus has caused in countries like Italy and the United States.
Declaring Australia was in a "good place", Professor Murphy said the number of COVID-19 cases continued to rise but the rate of growth was slowing.
The death of a Ruby Princess passenger in Queensland, announced after Professor Murphy's press conference, brought Australia's death toll to 35. A total of 5,687 cases have been reported — an increase of 139 in 24 hours.
"That is probably the lowest rise we've had for a few days and it does tend to continue the trend we've seen of flattening of the curve," Professor Murphy said.
Seeking to allay fears about the horrific scenes unfolding in places like the state of New York, where temporary morgues have been set up and nearly 4,000 people have died, he said Australia's decision to close its borders, quarantine travellers and impose strict social distancing measures was working.
"We're in a good place at the moment, we're achieving good control because the community has done what we have asked," he said.
"It's been hard, it's been really hard."
With Easter approaching, Professor Murphy urged Australians to avoid the temptation to travel or get together with friends and family to celebrate.
"Easter is going to be very different this year," he said.
"We're asking you to stay with your family, in your residence."
Of the 5,687 people who have tested positive to the virus since January, more than 2,000 have already recovered.
Ninety-one Australians are being treated in intensive care units, 33 of them on ventilators to help them breath.
Professor Murphy said his biggest concern continued to be community transmission and the fact that 10 per cent of those with the virus have had no known contact with a COVID-19 case.
"We all know just how infectious this virus can be," he said.
"Just look at what it did on some cruise ships."
