The Chinese embassy in Suva has hit out at Fiji's government for closing its borders to travellers who have been in China.

Photo: RNZI/Sally Round

Under new measures to contain the Wuhan coronavirus, the Fiji government has banned non-citizens, who have been in mainland China within 14 days of their intended travel to Fiji.

However, in a statement, the Chinese embassy said Beijing had taken rigourous containment measures, and there was no need for measures that interfered with travel and trade.

It hoped the Fiji government would minimise the negative impact on the movement of people as much as possible.

The statement echoes a similar one from the Chinese embassy in Tonga last week, which said mass evacuations of foreign nations from China was unnecessary.

Meanwhile, two Fiji citizens are currently being held in isolation at a Nadi hospital displaying what the government said were "mild symptoms" of the coronavirus.

Fiji is sending blood and swab samples from the two suspected cases to Australia for testing.

The patients, who are both Fiji citizens, are symptomatic and authorities wore full protection as an ambulance rushed the two into isolation at Nadi Hospital from a local health centre where they had sought treatment after arriving from China on Monday.

Fiji's Ministry of Health said the symptoms of Wuhan coronavirus were "very similar" to many other respiratory illnesses, including colds and influenza, and it expected to investigate more cases with a "relevant travel history" and symptoms.