All Kiwis who were intending to head to Chinese province Hubei, where Wuhan is located, are now being cautioned to change their travel plans.
SafeTravel, a website run by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade that advises Kiwis on travel information, has been updated with a warning: "Do not travel to Hubei Province due to the recent outbreak of Novel Coronavirus."
Previously, travelers were told to "avoid non-essential travel".
In a statement on Monday, the agency said the New Zealand Government has limited ability to provide emergency services to New Zealanders in Hubei. The website was updated with the statement last night.
The virus has killed at least 56 in China and reached Australian shores.
"For other parts of China, please exercise normal safety and security precautions, and note that higher levels of caution are recommended in some parts of the country.
"We are actively exploring all available options regarding how best to support New Zealanders currently in Hubei Province, including options to assist New Zealanders to depart Wuhan if they wish to do so."
Wuhan, considered the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, is currently under lockdown by the Chinese government in an effort to slow further spread of the illness.
The coronavirus death toll has jumped past 100 and there are now more than 4500 confirmed cases of infection in mainland China. The virus has also spread to other nations throughout Asia, Europe, the US and Australia. There are no confirmed cases in New Zealand as of yet.
The number of cases has rocketed to more than 500 and growing, and its not just in China.
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