The letter sent on Wednesday described the advice as coming in the "spirit of practical and constructive unity".

Dr Haines requested the federal government provide funding for personal protective equipment and deep cleaning, so hotels in regional areas could keep people in isolation when returning from overseas.

"Local government areas in Indi have expressed concern at a lack of available facilities to provide large-scale quarantining if residents do not have suitable private accommodation to quarantine within," she said.

She said the staged closure of businesses had a laudable goal of protecting jobs, but also caused confusion.

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"Many workers have contacted my office distressed at being required to attend work as their businesses have not been closed, exposing them to risk of contracting the coronavirus," she said.

"Yet many are rightly reluctant to quit their jobs for fear of being ineligible for government support."

Other topics covered by Dr Haines in her letter included the need for more PPE in regional areas, bringing forward and increasing financial assistance grants for councils, making sure bushfire-affected communities get more support, and urgently considering how to accelerate cash payments to vulnerable people.

She said the government's job seeker and job keeper funding was critical, but the end of April and start of May was too long to wait for many people in need.

"Faster cash payments need to flow so that no-one goes hungry in the immediate term," she said.

"The Commonwealth government cannot be expected to know everything that is happening on the ground in a fast-moving crisis like this, but I hope to play a positive and practical role by providing clear recommendations about what is happening in our local community."