Japan will quarantine people coming from China and South Korea for two weeks on arrival to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, the country's prime minister said, according to AFP.

“We will strengthen immigration quarantines on people from the two countries,” Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told a cabinet level task force meeting on the virus.

“We will ask them to stay in designated areas for two weeks and not to use public transport in the country,” Abe added, saying the measures would come into force from March 9 and last at least until the end of the month.