An Australian ban on foreign nationals from entering the country if they have been in China recently is "disappointing", ANU Vic-Chancellor Brian Schmidt says.
Foreign travellers who have left or passed through mainland China will be denied entry to Australia as officials try to contain the spread of coronavirus.
They will not be allowed enter Australia for 14 days from the time they depart or transited through the Asian superpower.
The measure comes as South Australia confirms two new coronavirus cases there - a Chinese couple in their 60s - bringing the national total to 12.
The latest available data from the Centre for Independent Studies estimated 59 per cent of international students at Australian National University were from China. There were more than 10,000 international students at the university in 2018.
Professor Schmidt said the changes would have a "substantial impact for our community, especially for our students who have not yet arrived from mainland China".
"This will be very distressing for them, and we will work as a community to support them," he said.
"This is disappointing for the entire ANU community. We were all looking forward to welcoming such an important and vibrant part of our community back to campus.
"We also need to be conscious that this is a difficult time for many of our students who have already arrived.
"The university will be generous and flexible in supporting our students, and our staff, through this challenge."
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The university would also put in place arrangements to support residential students who needed to self-isolate as per the government's directive.
"For our students still in China, we are committed to making you feel welcome even as you wait to be able to travel and will work to make sure can you continue your studies with as little disruption as possible. We will be directly in contact with you," he said.
"As a university community, will do all we can to minimise the disruption in supporting our affected students to progress their academic pursuits while they are off campus. We will need to be nimble, creative, and empathetic to achieve this, and I look forward to working with all to achieve this."
Universities Australia chief executive Catriona Jackson said the nation's universities would seek to extend the offers of flexibility they had made to international students in recent days, including online study and deferred start date options.
"Our universities will continue to adhere meticulously to the advice of health and immigration authorities, while managing the impact for our students," she said.
"Our focus is on safeguarding the health and safety of everyone in university communities, and minimising any disruption to study, exams and assessment."
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australian citizens, permanent residents and their immediate family, dependents, legal guardians and spouses, would be excepted from the strict measures.
It also extends to airline staff who have used personal protective gear.
These individuals arriving out of mainland China, not just the Hubei province, are required to self-isolate for a period of 14 days from the time they leave the country.
"In addition to that, there'll be advanced screening and reception arrangements put into place at the major airports to facilitate identifying and providing this information and ensuring the appropriate precautions are being put in place," Mr Morrison said.
The measure - which is effective from Saturday to be reviewed in a fortnight - comes after Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk called for those incoming flights to be halted until the virus is contained.
However, Mr Morrison said advice at the moment from medical experts was not to move to "that level of action".
"This provides [Australians in mainland China] with the opportunity to return to Australia," he said.
Mr Morrison also announced new arrangements for Australian airports including the provision of protective masks and thermometers.
Travellers already in the air or arriving in Australia on Sunday will face enhanced screening.
The Border Force Commissioner has been given discretion to be able to deal with cases of foreign travellers as they present at these screenings.
Foreign nationals who arrive in Australia despite the restriction and do not immediately return to where they arrived from will be subject to mandatory quarantine.
Australians are also being told not to travel to mainland China as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases grows.
"I want to assure Australians that we are doing everything that we can and through these actions to protect Australia for what is an escalating threat and a constantly changing situation," Mr Morrison said.
Qantas will halt its two direct services to mainland China, saying entry restrictions imposed the United States, Singapore and other countries will impact crews working across the airline's international network.
Meanwhile, government officials are expecting the Chinese government to approve a plan to evacuate Australians in Wuhan using a Qantas plane "very soon", Defence Minister Marise Payne said.
"I would like to register my thanks to the Chinese authorities for their cooperation on this operation in exceedingly difficult circumstances," she said.
Mr Morrison has stood behind a decision to send Australian citizens to a detention facility on Christmas Island as an appropriate quarantine measure.
"I don't agree it's a controversial decision, I think it's the right decision - we have those facilities in place to support people over that two-week period which I think can give Australians the greatest level of confidence about the quarantine that we've been able to establish," Mr Morrison said.
The prime minister said he had been in regular contact with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden, and is seeking to ensure border arrangements between the neighbouring countries are aligned.
with AAP
