Kiribati blocks Chinese travelers over coronavirus fears

The Kiribati government has placed all visa applications from China on hold in an effort to stave off the coronavirus.

Kiribati is the latest Pacific country to impose entry requirements to stop the spread off the virus.

All visitors are now required to fill out a health form and travelers from countries with the coronavirus must go through a self-quarantine period.

Meanwhile, health authorities in Wallis and Futuna have ordered 5000 face masks amid concern over the propagation of the coronavirus.

This is the territory's biggest order of its kind as people worry the respiratory illness could reach the archipelago.

A heat seeking camera is operational at the airport to screen arriving passengers for fever.

Wallis and Futuna's only air link is provided by New Caledonia's international carrier, Aircalin.

New Caledonia has also introduced a screening system.

A planned Aircalin charter flight from China to New Caledonia for the Lunar New Year holiday was cancelled last week because of documentation problems.