On Sunday, the Government placed temporary travel restrictions on all foreign nationals travelling from, or transiting through, mainland China to help contain the virus.
No cases have been confirmed in New Zealand to date.
Bay of Plenty District Health Board infectious diseases specialist Dr Diane Hanfelt-Goade said the DHB fired up local response plans when the World Health Organisation declared a public health emergency of international concern on Friday.
The DHB, along with others around the country, has activated its Pandemic Response Plans and has set up an Incident Management Team to direct the response in the Bay of Plenty area.
0302VirusMap
"We have a team of healthcare professionals who are experienced in working on previous events, such as the measles outbreak and the 2009 swine flu pandemic," Hanfelt-Goade said.
If someone tested positive for coronavirus in the Bay of Plenty, the DHB would work alongside Toi Te Ora Public Health in response to the case.
The response would include isolation, management and treatment for people who tested positive.
If the virus did spread to the Bay of Plenty, the DHB anticipated most cases would be managed through home isolation under supervision of primary care providers and Toi Te Ora.
Tauranga and Whakatāne hospitals both had negative airflow pressure isolation rooms if people required hospitalisation.
Toi Te Ora medical officer of health Dr Phil Shoemack said: "Fastidious attention to good hand hygiene and cough etiquette, along with the physical isolation of suspected cases, are the mainstay of measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus."
Good hygiene included covering coughs and sneezes with disposable tissues or clothing and washing hands for at least 20 seconds with water and soap and drying them thoroughly before eating and after using the toilet, after coughing or sneezing and after caring for sick people.
Symptoms of coronavirus included fever, coughing and difficulty breathing. These were similar to a range of other illnesses, including the flu, so if someone had these symptoms it did not necessarily mean they had coronavirus.
Shoemack said people could stay up to date with the latest information on the Ministry of Health or Toi Te Ora website.
Foodstuffs New Zealand's head of corporate affairs, Antoinette Laird, said sales for hand sanitiser and other antiseptic liquids had spiked around the country, with some stores possibly already being out of stock.
Where to get advice If you have a fever, cough or difficulty breathing please telephone Healthline (for free) on 0800 611 116.
