FULL MEDIA CONFERENCE: WA man announced as first Australian to die from coronavirus

A Perth man has become the first Australian fatality of COVID-19, commonly known as coronavirus. The 78-year-old, who has not yet been named, was on the Diamond Princess cruise ship and was being treated in isolation at Perth’s Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital. A spokesperson from WA Health said the man's wife, who contracted the disease, remains stable in hospital after having "the opportunity to talk to him prior to his death”. “It doesn’t change anything for the status of the coronavirus – we always knew this was a disease that could always be very serious, particularly for the more elderly and those who have chronic conditions… there is no risk for the general community or staff,” he said. The news comes after a further two cases were confirmed in Australia overnight, bringing the total number of cases to 27. According to the World Health Organisation, worldwide there have been 83,652 confirmed cases of coronavirus that has resulted in 2,800 deaths. Image: Getty

from National | Daily Telegraph https://ift.tt/2TbBEpS