Churches around the country are making changes to traditional worship practices - including holy communion - in light of the worldwide coronavirus outbreak.

At least one Christian denomination in New Zealand is urging its members to stop one practice altogether for fears of the contagious disease spreading.

The Anglican church has advised its members that receiving communion by intinction - dipping of the bread into wine - is not acceptable for public worship in the current Covid-19 situation.

The advice has been posted in a "guidelines for when we gather at worship" page on the Anglican Life website.

"A combination of current literature and expert medical advice concludes that sipping from the common cup and sharing a handshake represent minimal risk of transmission of contagion and fall within the parameters of the normal risks of daily living.

"On the other hand, the practice of intinction is a higher risk activity," the advice says.

"Fingertips coming in contact with the bread which is then dipped in the wine or fingertips coming in direct contact with the wine may contaminate the shared wine with pathogens other than those found in saliva."

The advice does not, however, put any restrictions on taking holy communion from the same cup and carrying out the sign of peace - sharing a handshake or hug.

Churches from various denominations around the world making changes to prevent the risk of Covid-19 spreading.

The Diocese of Rome has stopped the sign of peace at services and requested that people receive communion in the hand, rather than on the tongue.

The same ban has been put in place by French dioceses.

Churches in New Zealand are also being told to place hand sanitisers at entrances and "strategic locations" around the vicinity to encourage parishioners to wash their hands before and after services.

The Catholic church says it is monitoring the situation closely and will take immediate action if the Ministry of Health advises so.

Father John O'Connor, Acting Director National Liturgy Office, said they were in touch with health officials and would be strictly following their advice.

"The key point is that we are guided by the Ministry of Health and not what other countries or other churches are doing."

Some churches, however, have taken it upon themselves to stop giving holy communion from a communal cup because many of their members had recently come back from China, for example.

Father John said it was important to note that the ministry's official information was that the disease was spread by an infected person sneezing, coughing or having close personal contact.

They were then telling people to regularly practice good hygienic habits such as washing hands thoroughly.