Dandenong Casey Division of General Practice chairman Nick Demediuk had three people visit his Parkmore clinic last Thursday suspected of carrying swine flu.

The three were on the cruise ship Pacific Dawn, which docked at Sydney last Monday. Eighteen passengers have been detected with the flu.

Dr Demediuk said the trio had been tested for swine flu - two returned negative and the other's results were pending.

"We're in the containment phase."

"We're trying to stop the spread, but we're about to get to the sustained phase, where you start to see it spread throughout the community gradually.

"We think swine flu is already out here. We won't know until the next week or two. We've just got to deal with cases as they arrive."

Confirmed cases of swine flu in the state had passed 200 yesterday, but the Department of Human Services was unable to provide localised figures.

Dr Demediuk, who doubles as the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners spokesman on swine flu, said there were a number of simple actions people could take to try to avoid contracting the flu.

"We really want people to practise basic cough etiquette. Sneeze onto the inside of your upper arm, don't cough all over the place or cough into your hands.

"Practise hand hygiene - keep them clean as it can be spread by contact.

"Stay a metre away from people if you can help it. In the house you can wear a mask to cut down the airborne spread."

Influenza diversion clinics - to deal with swine flu - have been set up in Dandenong and Clayton.

A Southern Health spokeswoman said these clinics were only for people who had been referred by a medical practitioner or Nurse-on-Call adviser.

"The clinics are to help us efficiently handle an increase in volume of people referred by doctors, allow emergency department staff to focus on emergency presentations and reduce the risk of exposing existing patients, staff and visitors at hospitals."