Australia and New Zealand have announced that they are closing their borders to non-residents, in a move to contain the coronavirus outbreak.

The bans will come into force at 21:00 (10:00 GMT) on Friday in Australia and at midnight (11:00 GMT) on Thursday in New Zealand.

Around 600 coronavirus cases have so far been confirmed in Australia and six people in the country have died from the disease.

New Zealand has recorded 28 coronavirus infections, with no deaths yet caused by the virus.

Scott Morrison, Australia’s prime minister, explained his decision in a televised briefing from Canberra by saying that “the overwhelming proportion of cases in Australia have been imported”.

Shortly afterwards, New Zealand’s prime minister Jacinda Ardern announced her government would also implement a ban on non-citizens entering the country.

Ms Ardern told reporters: "I'm not willing to tolerate risk at our borders.”

"Today’s decision stops any tourist, or temporary visa holder such as students or temporary workers, from coming to and entering into New Zealand," she added.

New Zealanders’ legal guardians, partners or dependent children who are travelling with them will be allowed to return.

Ms Ardern added that those who have boarded flights and those already en route will be able to land in New Zealand.

Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Show all 20 1 /20 Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Top: Nabi Younes market, Mosul Bottom: Charles Bridge, Prague Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Grand Mosque, Mecca A combination photo shows Muslim pilgrims wearing protective face masks, following the outbreak of the coronavirus, as they pray at Kaaba in the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia March 3, 2020 (top) and general view of Kaaba at the Grand Mosque which is almost empty of worshippers, after Saudi authority suspended umrah (Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca) amid the fear of coronavirus outbreak, at Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia March 6, 2020. REUTERS/Ganoo Essa TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY GANOO ESSA Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Sagrada Familia, Barcelona A combination photo shows tourists gathering around Sagrada Familia basilica, before closing it and suspending its construction work as a precautionary measure due to the coronavirus outbreak in Barcelona, Spain March 11, 2020. Picture taken March 11, 2020 and an empty street of tourists as basilica stopped receiving visitors and suspend its construction work as a precautionary measure due to the coronavirus outbreak, in Barcelona, Spain March 13, 2020. REUTERS/Nacho Doce NACHO DOCE Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Nabi Younes market, Mosul A combination picture shows people shopping at the Nabi Younes market (top) March 11, 2020 and the empty market during a curfew imposed by Iraqi authorities, following the outbreak of coronavirus, in east Mosul, Iraq March 15, 2020. REUTERS/Abdullah Rashid ABDULLAH RASHID Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Basra Grand Mosque, Iraq A combination picture shows worshipers walking out after performing prayers at Basra Grand Mosque in Basra, Iraq March 12, 2020 and the mosque seen empty after a curfew was imposed to prevent the spread of coronavirus, March 17, 2020. REUTERS/Essam Al-Sudani ESSAM AL-SUDANI Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Charles Bridge, Prague A combination picture shows tourists walking across the medieval Charles Bridge in Prague, Czech Republic, November 7, 2019 and the bridge empty as the Czech government restricts movement of people to slow the spread of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Czech Republic, March 16, 2020. REUTERS/David W Cerny DAVID W CERNY Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Taj Mahal hotel, India A combination picture shows the Taj Mahal hotel, November 25, 2018 and after the government tightened up measures for coronavirus prevention in Mumbai, India March 17, 2020. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas FRANCIS MASCARENHAS Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Dubai Mall, UAE A combination picture shows people at Dubai Mall (top), following the outbreak of coronavirus, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, March 12, 2020 and the mall seen almost empty of customers, as precaution amid the outbreak of coronavirus, March 16, 2020. REUTERS/Satish Kumar SATISH KUMAR SUBRAMANI Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Beirut March, Lebanon A combination picture shows men gathered at a beach in Beirut March 12, 2020, and the gathering place seen empty after Lebanon declared a medical state of emergency as part of the preventive measures against the spread of the coronavirus, in Beirut, Lebanon March 15, 2020. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir MOHAMED AZAKIR Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Gateway of India, Mumbai A combination picture shows the Gateway of India, August 18, 2016 and after the government tightened up measures for coronavirus prevention in Mumbai, India March 17, 2020. REUTERS/Danish Siddiqui/Francis Mascarenhas FRANCIS MASCARENHAS Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Cairo University, Egypt A combination picture shows students attending a lecture at Cairo University (top) in Cairo, Egypt, February 12, 2020 and seats seen empty at the lecture hall following government efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus, March 15, 2020. REUTERS/Shokry Hussien TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY SHOKRY HUSSIEN Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Amman Citadel, Jordan A combination picture shows tourists posing for a picture at Amman Citadel, March 10, 2020, and the citadel seen empty after its closure to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in Jordan, in Amman, Jordan March 15, 2020. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed MUHAMMAD HAMED Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem A combination picture shows visitors, wearing masks as a preventive measure against coronavirus, arriving at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem in the Israeli-occupied West Bank March 5, 2020, and the same area seen almost empty of people following the closure of the church to prevent the spread of the coronavirus March 6, 2020. REUTERS/Mussa Qawasma MUSSA ISSA QAWASMA Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Beirut March, Lebanon A combination picture shows people walking at Beirut's seaside Corniche March 15, 2020, and the corniche seen empty after Lebanon declared a medical state of emergency as part of the preventive measures against the spread of the coronavirus, in Beirut, Lebanon March 15, 2020. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir MOHAMED AZAKIR Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Cairo, Egypt A combination picture shows school children leaving the primary school of Omar El Mokhtar in Cairo, Egypt March 11, 2020 and the school seen closed following government efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus March 16, 2020. REUTERS/Rania Gomaa RANIA GOMAA Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Cairo University, Egypt A combination picture shows school children lining up at start of the day classes in Thamret Al Tawfiq School (top) in Cairo, Egypt March 8, 2020, and the school seen empty following government efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus, March 15, 2020. REUTERS/Hanaa Habib STRINGER Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Victoria Memorial, India A combination picture shows the historic Victoria Memorial monument June 21, 2019 and after the government tightened up measures for coronavirus prevention, in Kolkata, India March 17, 2020. REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri RUPAK DE CHOWDHURI Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Amman Citadel, Jordan A combination picture shows tourists visiting the Amman Citadel, March 10, 2020, and the citadel seen empty after its closure to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, in Amman, Jordan March 15, 2020. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed MUHAMMAD HAMED Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Amman Citadel, Jordan A combination picture shows tourists visiting the pillars of the Roman Temple of Hercules at the Amman Citadel, March 10, 2020, and the citadel seen empty after its closure to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, in Amman, Jordan March 15, 2020. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed MUHAMMAD HAMED Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Sidon, Lebanon A combination picture shows people playing cards inside a cafe, March 12, 2020, and the cafe seen closed after Lebanon declared a medical state of emergency as part of the preventive measures against the spread of the coronavirus, in Sidon, Lebanon March 16, 2020. REUTERS/Ali Hashisho ALI HASHISHO Reuters

The border restrictions will extend to South Pacific countries, which were previously not included in some travel bans.

New Zealand’s prime minister encouraged people not to panic, saying that cargo would still be let into the country.

"Our shelves will be stocked...there is no reason to panic buy," she said.

Her announcement came a few days after New Zealand announced a large stimulus package, worth four per cent of its GDP, in an attempt to soften the economic fallout of the crisis.

In Australia, Qantas, the country’s biggest airline by fleet size, said it would cancel all its international flights.

It added that two-thirds of its 30,000 workers would have to take paid or unpaid leave.

Air New Zealand Ltd, which announced a limited international flying schedule on Monday, expects to make more changes, according to a Twitter post by its chief revenue officer Cam Wallace on Twitter.