Cruise ships have been denied port calls in some Pacific Island nations as governments around the region move to batten down the hatches in the face of a potential coronavirus pandemic.

Key points: No confirmed cases of coronavirus have been detected in the Pacific

No confirmed cases of coronavirus have been detected in the Pacific However, there are several suspected cases awaiting test results

However, there are several suspected cases awaiting test results Some countries are temporarily barring cruise ships as a precaution

Two cruise ships with thousands of passengers each were told to stay clear of islands in Vanuatu and Cook Islands respectively this week — the latter full of holidaymakers from virus hotspot Italy.

Meanwhile, Samoa has cut plane arrivals from New Zealand by almost half after that country detected its first coronavirus cases, with several countries across the region putting strict new entry policies in place.

Most Pacific nations do not have direct international transport links to the countries most affected by coronavirus — like China, South Korea, Italy and Iran — but they are not taking any chances.

"The importation of a case into the Pacific is possible, it is likely," Meru Sheel, an epidemiologist and population health expert at the Australian National University, told the ABC.

"While the Pacific doesn't have direct connectivity to many of these countries, it's still possible that they will get a case."

Here is what you need to know.

Have there been any cases?

Test results are pending for several suspected cases in Pacific Island countries. ( AP: Chinatopix, file )

Despite a handful of scares and a whole lot of misinformation on social media, no confirmed cases of coronavirus have been detected in Pacific Island nations so far.

However, several people were placed in isolation in countries across the region pending test results.

That included a 15-month-old girl in Fiji who recently arrived from the US, a 37-year-old Fijian woman who recently travelled to Italy, and a three-year-old Fijian boy and his mother who returned from Bali and Singapore.

Their contacts are currently being traced, according to local media reports.

But late Thursday, the Fijian Government wrote on Twitter that "all test results for suspected coronavirus cases have come back negative" and Fiji was still coronavirus-free.

A Tongan woman who recently came back from Sydney is also being tested, and authorities there are also looking for people she has been in contact with.

Test results are also pending in Palau for a 73-year-old woman from the US who health officials say is in a stable condition.

Why are cruise ships being turned away?

Cruise tourism is a major source of income for Pacific nations — but that's being weighed against the perceived risks. ( Flickr: eGuide Travel )

Health authorities in some Pacific Island nations have made the assessment that the risk posed by large groups of foreigners disembarking on their shores is far too high, given the spread of coronavirus to more than 70 countries worldwide.

While this would be frustrating for those on board, it is not a decision Pacific leaders are making lightly — cruise ship passengers are vital to the region's tourism industries.

Cook Islands this week decided to prevent the MSC Magnifica from making a stop at the island of Aitutaki, an itinerary change that cost the territory around $200,000 according to tourism officials.

The ship was still able to stop at the largest island, Rarotonga, where four passengers were admitted to hospital for medical issues not related to coronavirus.

Eleven cruises that were scheduled to stop in the Cook Islands' outer islands over the next two months have now had their visits cancelled, while Tonga and Samoa are also blocking cruise ship arrivals for the time being.

Some of New Caledonia's most popular cruise destinations are currently not taking visitors. ( Flickr: Sekundo )

A bit closer to Australia, the islands of Lifou, Mare and the Isle of Pines in New Caledonia have all barred cruise ships from visiting, while the Royal Caribbean-operated Voyager of the Seas cruise ship was last week turned away from Vanuatu.

There were several cases of the flu on board, and Vanuatu made the decision "out of an abundance of caution", a spokesperson for the Vanuatu Tourism Office told the ABC.

"Cruise ships are not banned from calling at Vanuatu ports — Golden Princess is currently in Vila Harbour and another one is scheduled for later this week," the spokesperson said.

Voyager of the Seas, which also had to abandon planned stops in New Caledonia, was ultimately forced to head away from the tropics and toward the colder climes of New Zealand.

In a statement, Royal Caribbean said the itineraries for the ship's upcoming March cruises — one of which leaves Sydney tomorrow — were "currently under review".

Passengers on the Voyager of the Seas missed out on port calls in Vanuatu and New Caledonia. ( ABC News: Jesse Dorsett, file )

Several countries are now requiring visitors to provide a medical clearance report issued within the previous three days prior to boarding any flights.

Officials in Samoa have also reduced the number of international flights arriving in the country, most notably from near neighbour New Zealand, which has had services cut from 11 flights per week to six.

Are Pacific countries overreacting?

While the World Health Organisation (WHO)` has not recommended that countries put travel restrictions in place, Sean Casey from the WHO's Pacific Joint Incident Management Team said island nations faced "a difficult situation".

Emergency deliveries of protective equipment are being given to Pacific health workers. ( WHO Western Pacific )

"Many Pacific countries don't have critical care capability, hospitals are relatively small, there's a limited number of health workers," he told the ABC.

"The consequences of an imported case may be higher, so countries are making these determinations considering the risks and potential consequences."

Mr Casey said an additional complication was the high rate of non-communicable disease in the Pacific, such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and chronic respiratory diseases.

"We know that coronavirus is disproportionately affecting older persons and persons with comorbidities," he said.

"So we're worried — we don't know exactly how it's going to play out, but there are definite vulnerabilities."

Pacific governments are working with the WHO to prepare for coronavirus spreading to their islands, a process that involves training health workers on how to protect themselves and the community.

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A number of Pacific countries are establishing emergency operations centres, or activating them if they are already in place.

"Countries are doing really everything they can to prepare, to identify cases that may come in at points of entry, or to identify, isolate and manage cases that are detected at a community level," Mr Casey said.

Getting personal protective equipment like gloves, masks, goggles, gowns and face shields out to health facilities across the region has been a focus.

This is no simple task, given we're talking about countries composed of hundreds of tiny islands — Fiji for instance has 332 islands, 106 of which are inhabited.

"If they don't have preparedness activities done in one particular part of the country or island, by the time they get to that in the case of an outbreak, that would be a delayed response," Dr Sheel from the ANU said.

"They probably need to be just as prepared as any other country, but … It takes time for things to get there if they're not prepared."

Australia has supported these efforts by sending equipment and medical supplies to Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Timor-Leste, helping several nations plan their strategies in the event of an outbreak, and running diagnostic tests for suspected coronavirus cases.

However, recent measles outbreaks across the region mean some countries are already experienced at dealing with these sorts of crises.

"The measles experience in the Pacific has probably really taught them and equipped them," Dr Sheel said.

"The principles will apply even for coronavirus disease, and I think we should be looking at the positives and trying our best to facilitate that in these countries."