An isolated East Coast community may set up road blocks to prevent travellers and out-of towners from entering - and risking the spread of coronavirus.

Discussions are being held to start a checkpoint at Hicks Bay to dissuade non-essential travel into the Tairawhiti region.

Tina Ngata, one of the organisers, said they had a traffic management plan, had informed police and the checkpoint would be working in teams of two.

"This is not a good time to be coming into the region. We have diminished health services and a vulnerable population who meet all the criteria to most likely contract the virus and least likely to recover.

"This makes us a high risk community."

Ms Ngata said they would be telling all motorists entering this region just that.

"We have also written letters to the campervan association to discourage people from coming here for the protection of our community."

Ms Ngata said they were asking tourists to be considerate.

"Long after people go home we are still left with poor health services."