Four more deaths take national coronavirus toll to 28
NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant updates the public. Photo: AAP
A foreign passenger with COVID-19 from the MV Artania cruise ship has died in a Western Australian hospital, the fourth coronavirus death on Australian soil in 24 hours.
WA health authorities confirmed a man in his 60s died at Joondalup Health Campus.
More than 40 passengers confirmed to have the virus were taken off the ship for treatment at Perth hospitals earlier this week after the ship docked at Fremantle Port.
It brings the number of COVID-19 deaths in WA to three and the country’s to 28.
The Murrumbidgee Local Health District said the woman acquired the virus overseas.
Earlier it was confirmed a man in his 80s has died of coronavirus while at a Melbourne hospital.
The man died in an intensive care unit.
Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said a seventh person died of coronavirus overnight. Photo: ABC News
Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton revealed the death on Channel 7’s Sunrise program this morning.
“He was in intensive care. We have another seven who are in intensive care. It is a serious situation,”
He said another seven people were in intensive care.
Case update for today: 1085 cases in Victoria; an increase of 49 from yesterday. Sadly, an additional death reported overnight in a man in his 80s. Seven patients remain in ICU.
— Chief Health Officer, Victoria (@VictorianCHO) April 2, 2020
The news comes after Victoria recorded two deaths yesterday, one of which was linked to a cluster of cases among inpatients at The Alfred.
Seven deaths have been recorded in Victoria, 12 in New South Wales, three in Queensland, three in WA and three in other states and territories.
In the last 24 hours, there were another 49 COVID-19 cases confirmed in Victoria, bringing the state’s total to 1085. NSW has 2389 cases, an increase of 91.
Meanwhile, NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller is investigating the Ruby Princess coronavirus scandal as health authorities sweat on COVID-19 results from the ship’s crew.
Staff from Aspen Medical and NSW Health boarded the Ruby Princess cruise ship on Thursday afternoon to test and treat sick crew members.
Mr Fuller says police are now waiting to hear how many of the 1100 crew on-board need to be evacuated into NSW hospitals.
“If there is a couple of hundred people infected and they can’t handle anymore then we will have to deal with that,” he told reporters on Friday.
Authorities are concerned infected crew could overwhelm NSW hospitals if even a small proportion contract the virus.
Cruise ships have become a major source of infection in NSW.
–with AAP
