FILE PHOTO: Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks during a joint press conference held with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at Admiralty House in Sydney, Australia, February 28, 2020. REUTERS/Loren Elliott

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia will ban the arrival of foreigners from South Korea and conduct enhanced screenings of travelers from Italy to help contain the spread of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday.

Morrison said Australia will also extend the travel ban on foreigners arriving from mainland China and Iran.

“It affords the best protection and enables us to

slow down the rate of transmission,” Morrison told reporters in Canberra.