Ministry of Health says situation in NZ remains unchanged as Australia announces first case of China coronavirus

New Zealand's Ministry of Health says the situation here "remains unchanged" as Australia announced its first case of the China coronavirus today.

Dr Caroline McElnay, Director of Public Health for the Ministry of Health, told 1 NEWS the ministry will remain in close contact with Australian authorities over the coronavirus case.

"It's important to stress that the situation in New Zealand remains unchanged," Dr McElnay said.

"So far, no cases of this novel coronavirus have been reported in New Zealand."

The Ministry of Health advises all travellers to New Zealand who become sick within a month of their arrival to seek medical advice and contact Healthline at 0800 611 116 or a doctor and share their travel history.

It is important to mention recent travel from Wuhan and any known contact with someone with severe acute respiratory illness who has been in Wuhan. 

This comes as a Chinese national in his 50s, went to a GP on Thursday and to the Monash Medical Centre at Clayton, Australia on Friday where he was put into isolation.

He returned a positive test for the virus this morning. It's the first confirmed case in Australia.

The man has pneumonia and is in a stable condition, being treated in a negative pressure isolation room, Acting Chief Health Officer Angie Bone said.

The man arrived in Melbourne at 9am on January 19, on a China Southern flight from Guangzhou, and Dr Bone said border screening would not have detected the virus.

Other passengers on the flight are being contacted by authorities.

The virus has already killed more than 40 people in China and infected upward of 1000 people around the world.