Coronavirus: Two in Fiji isolated with 'mild' symptoms

Two people are in isolation at a Fiji hospital with what the health ministry describes as "mild symptoms" of the Wuhan coronavirus.

The Fiji citizens arrived in Nadi from the Chinese city of Guangdong on Monday and are being held at Nadi Hospital.

Samples have been sent to Melbourne for laboratory testing, and the ministry said it was managing close contacts of the patients.

The health ministry said there had been no confirmed cases of the Wuhan coronavirus, which has killed more than 400 people in China.

"The Fijian Ministry of Health and Medical Services is monitoring the developing situation and will provide updates regularly to the public," it said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the Federated States of Micronesia has banned its citizens from travelling to mainland China because of fears about the Wuhan coronavirus.

In an emergency declaration signed on Tuesday, President David Panuelo said the ban would be in force until it was clear the coronavirus was effectively contained.

He also urged the country's 105,000 people to avoid travelling to other countries with confirmed cases.

People who have been in China since 6 January are already banned from entering the Federated States of Micronesia by air or sea.