Canberra, March 13 (IANS): Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton announced on Friday that he has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Taking to Twitter, Dutton said: "This morning I woke up with a temperature and sore throat. I feel fine and will provide an update in due course.

"It is the policy of Queensland Health that anyone who tests positive is to be admitted into hospital and I have complied with their advice."

Dutton's confirmation comes a day after Hollywood superstar Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson, who were currently in Australia for a shoot, announced that they had been infected, the BBC reported.

As of Friday, Australia has reported 156 confirmed cases. Three people have died from the virus so far, but health officials warn that millions more are likely to contract the virus within the next six months.

When he was asked on Thursday why people entering Australia weren't being tested, Dutton had said that it was not possible to test everyone coming into the country.

"For 99 per cent of people there's no issue," the BBC quoted Dutton as sayng.

The Minister had recently travelled to Washington D.C. for a meeting on child sexual exploitation.

While in the US, he had met President Donald Trump's daughter, Ivanka.

Earlier on Friday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison called for gatherings of more than 500 people to be cancelled, but said he would still attend a weekend rugby game.