Sixth person dies from coronavirus in Australia
A sixth person has died in Australia from coronavirus.
The man, 86, died at a Sydney hospital on Tuesday night, bringing NSW’s death toll to five.
“Our condolences are with his family and friends at this time,” the state’s health department wrote in a press release on Wednesday.
As at 11am today, an additional 57 cases of COVID-19 have been diagnosed, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in NSW to 267, chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant announced at a press conference.
There are now 556 confirmed cases of coronavirus across Australia.
The man’s death follows the deaths of five other Australians aged 95, 90, 82 and 78 and 77.
The 90-year-old woman who died on Saturday was a resident of the Dorothy Henderson Lodge aged care home, where two other residents have died after becoming infected with the virus.
A 77-year-old woman developed coronavirus symptoms on a flight from Brisbane to Sydney on Friday and died the same day.
More than 25,000 tests have been conducted in NSW.
Health authorities on Wednesday said the number of COVID-19 cases in NSW with no known source of transmission was increasing.
Dr Chant attributes the rise to an influx of Australians returning from overseas as citizens around the world are implored to return to their home countries.
"What we've been seeing is increasing cases in returning travellers from Europe and also America adding to those previous countries we've had - the original ones," Dr Chant said in Sydney.
"The outbreak has changed and evolved."
Victoria’s coronavirus cases jump by 27
Victoria now has reached 121 coronavirus cases after the confirmation of 27 new patients.
The new cases are made of 14 men and 13 women, with people from late teens to early seventies.
Six people are recovering in hospital.
More than 15,200 Victorians have been tested and so far there remains only two confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Victoria acquired through community transmission.
Victorian Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton said we expect to see more and more cases of COVID-19 in Victoria.
"We are reviewing this rapidly evolving situation daily and will continue to provide up-to-date information to the community," Professor Sutton said.
Queensland Premier urges people not to travel
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has echoed the words of the prime minister in calling for a halt to overseas travel.
Scott Morrison is urging Australians not to travel abroad, and has announced strict restrictions on visitors to aged care homes to protect the elderly from the coronavirus, and a ban on non-essential indoor gatherings of more than 100 people.
The new measures come as the Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles confirmed the state's number of confirmed coronavirus cases has reached 94, a jump of 16 from Tuesday.
South Australia Premier dismisses ‘ludicrous’ lock-down
Suggestions of a complete state lock-down have been dismissed as "ludicrous" and South Australians have been assured there are adequate food supplies amid the continuing coronavirus pandemic.
Premier Steven Marshall said incorrect information about the situation in SA was starting to undermine crucial public health messaging.
"There is no state lock-down, there is no CBD lock-down, this is wrong and it's unhelpful and it's completely and utterly ludicrous," Mr Marshall said.
The premier said the continuing focus was on limiting the spread of the virus across the state where 32 cases had been confirmed so far.
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WA travellers told to 'come home'
The West Australian premier is urging the federal government to completely ban overseas travel as soon as citizens overseas return home and calling for an end to panic buying as four new cases of coronavirus bring the state's total to 35.
Mark McGowan pleaded with travellers to "come home now" on Wednesday after the Commonwealth updated its travel advisory for the entire world to level four.
"That's saying going overseas is dangerous so don't do it," he told reporters.
"If people do, they are taking a risk and the chances are they won't get home, and they certainly won't get travel insurance.
ACT declares state of emergency
The ACT currently has three confirmed cases of coronavirus as of Wednesday.
More than 1140 people have tested negative so far, the ACT’s health department said.
Tourist hospitalised in Darwin
A tourist visiting Darwin is the only case of coronavirus in the Northern Territory, according to its health department.
The case is a 54-year-old man who visited Darwin on March 4.
Tasmanian sees seventh case
In Tasmania, a seventh person was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Sunday.
A woman in her 50s tested positive and is currently in isolation. She had been in close contact with a previous case of the virus.
with AAP
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