Australia's Victoria state declared a state of emergency for four weeks effective 1200 local time (0100 GMT) on Monday in a bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
"It is likely that the state of emergency will be extended and will be in place for as long as it needs to be," the state's Premier Daniel Andrews told reporters in Melbourne.
Australia imposed a 14-day self-isolation on international travellers arriving from midnight Sunday and banned cruise ships from foreign ports for 30 days as it intensified its efforts to contain the contagion.
(Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
