Australia officials on virus cases and Dutton

Australia's confirmed cases of the new coronavirus passed 200 on Saturday, with a senior politician among those diagnosed.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton tested positive for the virus on Friday and has since been put into isolation.

Dutton had attended a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday and met with US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka and the US attorney general in Washington DC over a week ago.

Australian Chief Medical Officer Brendon Murphy said Dutton had only developed symptoms on Friday morning  and so did not meet the criteria for being a "close contact" for those at the Cabinet talks or prior.

South Australia Premier Steve Marshall gave details of three new cases in his state at a news conference on Saturday.

The state government of Western Australia also confirmed three more cases.

As of Saturday the national case total stood at 203.

In the state of Tasmania a cruise ship remained docked in Hobart with hundreds of passengers unable to disembark due to coronavirus concerns.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

The vast majority of people recover from the new virus.

According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.