New Zealand PM and Australia chief medical officer on virus

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Sunday that everyone entering the country from Sunday must self-isolate for 14 days in an effort to contain the spread of coronavirus.

Interviewed on TVNZ's program "Q&A", she said border controls have been strengthened.

She said she was confident that people would comply with the requirement to self-isolate, but if they did not, authorities had the power to place them in quarantine.

From Monday, all incoming passengers, including New Zealand citizens, will be required to isolate themselves for 14 days.

The only countries exempt from the restrictions are a handful of Pacific islands that haven’t yet had any cases of COVID-19.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in New Zealand has now risen to eight.

One of the most recent cases was of a visitor from Australia who had been tested for the virus before travelling to New Zealand.

After arriving in New Zealand, Australian authorities confirmed the test result as positive.

New Zealand's director general of health, Ashley Bloomfield, said Sunday he was "disappointed" that the individual had travelled despite having been tested.

In Australia, Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy, interviewed by AuBC's Insiders on Sunday programme, did not rule out a potential lockdown of some cities if necessary.

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.