Three people have died from coronavirus in Australia, with more than 80 diagnosed cases throughout the country.

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference has told parishes to temporarily remove Holy Water from stoups at the doors of churches.

There will instead be alcohol-based gels or rubs at the entrances.

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Parishioners have also been told to avoid shaking hands during the Sign of Peace, and instead wave, nod, or bow.

The distribution of the Holy Communion has also been altered, with parishes told to give the Eucharist via hand rather than directly to the mouth.

There are more than 40 parishes in the Sandhurst Diocese, which covers Bendigo, Myrtleford, Echuca, Shepparton, and Wodonga.

The Sandhurst Diocese was contacted for comment.

It comes as the Rural Doctors Association of Australia calls for calm among doctors who could face growing coronavirus cases.

"Rightly, health care professionals are anxious, but a lot of the anxiety is coming from the experiences in China," the group's president John Hall said.

Read more: Coronavirus: Bendigo health professionals urge good hygiene practices to avoid transmission

"Even if it becomes a more serious situation in Australian intensive care units and hospitals, there will be a very small percentage of doctors who will be affected.

"We have very good systems in place to protect those doctors. There are specific techniques and apparatus to protect them. "

Mr Hall said while there were some concerns that stores of protective equipment would run out, the government had assured doctors there would be adequate supplies.

Mr Hall said the government needed to stay on top of the issue.

"There's going to need to be extra resources because there will be an increased demand on health services," he said.

"There needs to be plans in place, also in larger rural and regional towns. Many will end up managing serious coronavirus cases.

"We need to make sure they have adequate machines and equipment, because there will be a lot of pressure in the intensive care units.

"We would be calling on government to make sure rural and regional hospitals are prioritised so regional communities aren't missing out on help."

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