"We obviously act on the advice of the Australian border agency," he said.

A cruise ship docked at Hobart has prevented passengers from disembarking due to coronavirus concerns, but Mr Gutwein said this was not because there were cases onboard.

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"My understanding is that in terms of this particular ship there is no outbreak of the coronavirus on the ship itself, and this is a precautionary measure that the ship is taking," he said.

The ship, Swiss-owned cruise Magnifica, locked down all passengers for their own health and safety, but the ABC has reported some passengers disembarked anyway with the intention of staying in Australia.

The coronavirus has spread through cruise ships since it first took hold globally, including the Diamond Princess where a Launceston woman was onboard.

Mr Gutwein said there were no active plans to close Tasmania's borders.

"I do want to make the point that should we receive that advice, I'd act on it in a heartbeat," he said.

"The border controls that are set by the Australian government are the ones that we take into account, along with the advice of our own health experts and the director of public health."