But the country's deputy chief medical officer says Australia is "on the cusp" of a position in which COVID-19 begins to die out locally - as long as shutdown measures remain in place and people continue to socially distance.

Health authorities are warning against complacency after encouraging figures showed the infection rate rising just 1.8 per cent over the past three days.

Australia's daily increase in cases fell below 100 on Thursday, the first time it has slipped under that daily threshold for three weeks.

More than 6100 people in Australia have contracted coronavirus, with 53 deaths - including new deaths on Friday in NSW and Victoria.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said the reduced infection rate was an important development but strict social distancing measures must remain in place and everyone must spend the Easter period at home.

That sentiment was echoed by deputy chief medical officer Dr Paul Kelly, who reminded reporters on Friday the local epidemic was still in its early stages.

He said the effective rate of infection in Australia, the "R0", was somewhere between one and two - meaning every infected person infects between one and two people.

"Where you want to be is below one - so less than one other person being infected after a person themselves has the infection," Dr Kelly said.

"One you get to that point the virus dies out or the epidemic dies out, so at the moment we're probably on the cusp of that in Australia ... whether that's where we're going to be in several weeks or months remains to be seen."

He said Australians would remain susceptible to coronavirus even if the virus was successfully eliminated from certain communities.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison, meanwhile, used his Easter message to drive home the importance of social distancing during a typically festive weekend.

Drawing on his own faith, Mr Morrison acknowledged this holiday would be vastly different, with online church services and no large family events.

"For Christians, not being able to gather does not diminish the hope that we have through this important Easter period," he said in a video message.

'This year, we will live out our faith by doing the right thing.

"That means staying at home, making sure we're checking on our neighbours and supporting our communities and families, our friends."

Opposition leader Anthony Albanese in a statement issued a similar message, imploring Australians to stay home for the sake of community wellbeing.

He also thanked those working over the weekend on the crisis' frontline.

The federal government, meanwhile, has reached an agreement with Qantas for three rescue flights from Peru, Argentina and South Africa for Australians stranded through border closures and lockdowns.

Those flights are expected next week while a separate government rescue flight returned about 280 Australians from Peru on Thursday.

Australian independent schools will also be forced to open in term two after the federal government threatened to cut funding.