Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Australia is working closely with New Zealand, with the Pacific islands and with Timor-Leste to protect our region. I want to thank New Zealand for assisting with the departure of 35 Australians from Wuhan last night as well as a number of Pacific islander, Timorese and other national citizens on that flight. There are no known coronavirus cases in the Pacific or New Zealand, but we are working closely with our neighbours and with the WHO to ensure that coronavirus does not take a hold. That includes Australia placing a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade officer in the Suva hub of the World Health Organization. We are also providing equipment and supplies, laboratory testing, and information and communication materials to our Pacific neighbours, and we will support the quarantine and the isolation of any positive coronavirus cases from our region.