Sport

The Prime Minister's announcement had near-immediate impact.

Within minutes, the Chappell-Hadlee one-day international cricket series and the ensuing Twenty20 series was postponed.

"A consequence of this is that we need to get our team back to New Zealand, before the restriction is imposed, meaning it will not be able to participate in the two remaining Chappell-Hadlee fixtures," said New Zealand Cricket.

"Arrangements are, at this moment, being made to fly the bulk of the squad home this evening."

Meanwhile, the restrictions are likely to curtail play in the Super Rugby competition and severely compromise the Warriors' involvement in NRL.

The Crusaders (Australia) and Highlanders (Argentina) are already overseas, and now face the two-week stand-down, presumably making them unavailable for next week's round. The Crusaders were due to host the Hurricanes.

The Chiefs were waiting to depart for South Africa, while the Blues are scheduled to face Canberra at Eden Park, with the visitors also subject to the stand-down.

Warriors chief executive Cameron George was due to meet with NRL officials this evening, after his team took on Newcastle Knights on the New South Wales coast.

The Auckland-based side would also face isolation, when they return to New Zealand - they're due to face the Canberra Raiders in an Eden Park cross-code doubleheader next week.

Previous details

The decision was made in a COVID-19 Cabinet committee meeting on Saturday, after the Prime Minister signalled on Friday that more border measures would soon be announced.

The United States announced on Thursday that it would ban foreign nationals who have recently been in most European countries from entering the United States for at least 30 days. That ban excluded the United Kingdom and Ireland. Other countries to take drastic border measures include India and Ukraine, which have barred foreigners from entering.

New Zealand already had travel restrictions in place for China and Iran, banning individuals from Aotearoa who have been in or through them in the last 14 days. New Zealand citizens and permanent residents are exempt.

On top of that, travellers from Italy and South Korea have had to self-isolate for 14 days after entering New Zealand. Ardern has said that isolation requirement has had a similar effect to a ban, pushing traveller numbers down significantly.

As Ardern explained on Friday, one of the issues for authorities is that many of New Zealand's pharmaceutical products arrive in the country via passenger planes. Restricting travel on those planes would likely lead airlines to drop out of the routes.

There are six confirmed cases of the coronavirus in New Zealand, with the most recent being announced earlier on Saturday. That individual is a man in his 60s who recently returned to New Zealand from the United States, where there are nearly 2000 cases of the illness.

In an attempt to combat the spread of the virus, this weekend's Pasifika festival has been cancelled, while the Christchurch Remembrance Service will also not go ahead on Sunday.

What we know about coronavirus

Coronavirus is primarily spread through droplets in the air after someone sneezes or coughs. However, it can also be contracted by touching surfaces where the illness is present, according to the World Health Organization. The length of time the virus stays alive on surfaces is unknown at this stage, but some viruses can remain active for days.

The WHO was first informed of cases of the virus in Wuhan on December 31. It was identified as a coronavirus on January 7 and can spread through human-to-human transmission.

"Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death," the WHO says.

"Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs. Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing."

There is currently no vaccine for the sickness.

How can I protect myself?

avoid touching the mouth, nose and eyes with unwashed hands

washing your hands before eating

carrying a hand sanitiser at all times

being particularly mindful of touching your face after using public transport or going to the airport

carry tissues at all times to cover the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing (then dispose of it)

not eating shared or communal food

avoiding shaking hands, kissing cheeks

regularly cleaning and sanitise commonly used surfaces and items, such as phones and keys

avoiding close contact with people suffering from or showing symptoms of acute respiratory infection

seeking medical attention if you feel unwell.

A full explainer on protecting yourself from coronavirus can be found here.

The Ministry of Health is reminding the public to get in touch with Healthline on 0800 358 5453 if they have symptoms or concerns.