The Health Ministry says lab test results for the two Fijian citizens under isolation and being investigated for the Novel Coronavirus could be available within a week.

Health Minister Doctor Ifereimi Waqainabete says their experts are working with the Permanent Secretary on this situation.

Lab samples are being sent to the World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre reference laboratory in Melbourne in Australia.

The two currently have mild symptoms and are under isolation at the Nadi Hospital after their arrival into Fiji from Guangdong in China on Monday.

Response teams by the Health Ministry are also managing close contacts of the patients.

It says they will provide an update to the public on the two persons under investigation once lab results are available.

The Health Ministry further says as the symptoms are very similar to many other respiratory illnesses including colds and influenza it is expected that with time the Ministry will investigate more persons with a relevant travel history and symptoms related to Coronavirus.

It adds that this should not alarm the public, as this is an indication of the level of alert they are maintaining for this globally spreading disease.

More than 20,000 cases and 425 deaths had been reported in China - an increase of more than 3,000 confirmed cases in a single day.