Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson have both tested positive for coronavirus, the US actor said Wednesday.

Hanks, 63, said he and Wilson came down with a fever while in Australia, where he is set to film a new movie about the life of Elvis Presley.

"To play things right, as is needed in the world right now, we were tested for the coronavirus, and were found to be positive," he wrote in a statement posted to Instagram.

Hanks is the first major Hollywood star to publicly state that he has the virus that is sweeping around the world.

The pair will now be isolated and monitored, wrote Hanks.

"We'll keep the world posted and updated," he added, along with a photo of a surgical glove placed inside a biohazard trash bag.

The Elvis film directed by Baz Luhrmann features Hanks as the legendary singer's longtime manager Colonel Tom Parker.

The Warner Bros film was in pre-production on the Gold Coast when Hanks was diagnosed, and has been halted while the situation is monitored.

"We have been made aware that a company member from our Elvis feature film... has tested positive for COVID-19 (coronavirus)," the studio said in a statement to AFP, which did not identify Hanks.

"We are working closely with the appropriate Australian health agencies to identify and contact anyone who may have come in direct contact with the individual."

"The health and safety of our company members is always our top priority, and we are taking precautions to protect everyone who works on our productions around the world," it added. (AFP)

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