Major events such as the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Melbourne have been cancelled and Cricket Australia has decided to go ahead with internationals with no spectators.

Other such as the AFL and NRL are yet to decide what to do with kicking off their seasons.

But with the federal government now recommending against events with 500 or more people, and other major sporting codes around the globe putting seasons on hold, it seems inevitable they will have to hit pause on the season, if not call it altogether.

Calling off such big events helps to underline that the coronavirus threat is a big one.

The reality is that the virus has made it to Australian shores, and these actions are about keeping it under control for as long as possible.

Think of it like a tsunami. The bigger the wave the greater the number of drownings and casualties.

Spread the load and more survive.

Which is what the moves made by governments around Australia are seeking to do.

Our hospitals have defined capacity and if more people need admission than we have beds then where do we go? Do we set up tents or temporary facilities?

We're unlikely to swing into action and build temporary hospitals like the Chinese - although the scale of their problems demanded a response like this.

The more health workers that are ill or quarantined at any given time the greater the impact on Tasmania's capacity to treat those with coronavirus, but also other diseases and injuries which it has to deal with in any given day or week.

Which means the more that the spread can be controlled, the better we will be able to ride it out until hopefully a vaccine can be developed or it begins to die out naturally because people are doing the right thing and isolating themselves.

Every one of us should be doing our bit and following the health guidelines. If you're not sure what to do, there is plenty of information about.