Sydney man becomes third coronavirus-related death in Australia
A NSW man in his 80s has died after contracting coronavirus in his Sydney aged care home, taking the nationwide death toll to three.
The 82-year-old was on Wednesday confirmed to have COVID-19 after he picked up the virus from an infected aged care worker in her 50s at BaptistCare's Dorothy Henderson Lodge in Macquarie Park.
He died overnight in hospital, chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant said.
The man's death follows that of a 95-year-old woman and fellow Dorothy Henderson Lodge resident and a 78-year-old man in Perth.
More than 70 Australians have tested positive to the coronavirus, with figures expected to continue climbing across the country.
An extra 260,000 masks will be immediately released from the federal stockpile to primary health networks, deputy chief medical officer Paul Kelly said.
"We realised that personal protective equipment for our healthcare workforce and our aged care workforce is absolutely fundamental. We need to make sure that they are kept safe," Professor Kelly said on Saturday.
Two more cases in NSW were confirmed by the health department on Sunday, including a healthcare worker at Ryde Hospital, who had contact with another infected person at a Macquarie Park nursing home.
The other case is a woman in her 50s who also had contact with someone previously confirmed to have the virus.
A man in his 60s who last night returned from Italy has also tested positive, while a man in his 40s who had close contact with another confirmed case has since tested positive too, ABC News reports.
That particular man was a passenger on two domestic flights - QF1509 and VA651 - on February 28 between Sydney and Canberra.
Doctor with coronavirus identified
A Melbourne doctor confirmed on Saturday to have coronavirus has since been identified as Dr Chris Higgins, the dad of famous Australian singer-songwriter Missy Higgins.
The doctor treated more than 70 people while ill, prompting concern for his patients at The Toorak Clinic in Melbourne, authorities confirmed on Saturday.
Dr Higgins, who works at the clinic, is in isolation according to the Herald Sun.
The doctor's patients, along with staff, are required to self-isolate. Two patients he visited in Malvern's Mecwacare nursing home are also in isolation.
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