Victoria records 28 cases of coronavirus as department warns more to come
The Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne has reportedly been called off after McLaren Racing announced it would not compete amid concerns over the coronavirus.
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The Australian Grand Prix has reportedly been called off.
Two senior Formula 1 sources told BBC Sport that the event would not go ahead, although there has been no official confirmation from F1 or governing body the FIA.
It comes as British team McLaren Racing pulled out of the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix after a team member tested positive to the coronavirus.
The team member was tested and isolated after showing symptoms of the virus on Wednesday.
In a development likely to ramp up pressure on authorities to call off the Melbourne race, McLaren officials on Thursday night reported the positive test result and pulled out of Sunday’s race.
Four Haas team members, also sent for tests after showing symptoms of the virus, have been cleared.
It is believed two other people working at the Albert Park circuit who were sent for testing in the last two days also tested negative.
In a statement, McLaren on Thursday night said: “the team member was tested and self-isolated as soon as they started to show symptoms and will now be treated by local healthcare authorities”.
It said the decision to pull out of the Grand Prix was “based on a duty of care not only to McLaren F1 employees and partners, but also to the team’s competitor’s Formula One fans and wider F1 stakeholders.”
Meanwhile, seven new cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Victoria on Thursday, with one of the infected people attending the Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup final at the MCG.
A reveller who attended the weekend’s Golden Plains Music Festival was also confirmed to have tested positive but was not infectious while at the event.
Australian Grand Prix chief executive Andrew Westacott on Thursday night confirmed the positive test result and revealed eight F1 team members had been tested so far.
“Of these eight tests, seven individuals have returned a negative result confirming that they do not have the COVID-19 virus,” he said.
“An eighth individual has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.
“It has been confirmed that the individual was a member of the McLaren Racing Team.
“As a result of this, McLaren has announced its withdrawal from the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix”.
He said the Grand Prix Corporation was in discussions with Formula 1, the FIA and the Department of Health and Human Services “in relation to the broader implications of this test result”.
He also revealed a ninth individual had been assessed and tested for the COVID-19 virus, with the results of this test pending.
“This individual is not associated with any Formula 1 team, the FIA or associated suppliers.”
In a statement, F1 said: “our priority is the safety of the vans, the teams and all personnel at the race.”
Fans and drivers at the Grand Prix on Thursday were encouraged to avoid shaking hands to try and stop the virus spreading.
Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton raised concerns about the Melbourne Grand Prix going ahead as the coronavirus crisis grows.
The Mercedes star was shocked that it had not been cancelled.
“I am really, really surprised that we are here,” he said.
“I think it’s great that we have races but for me it’s shocking that we are here sitting in this room.
“There are so many fans here already here today and it looks like the rest of the world is reacting, probably a little bit late.”
Six-time world champion Hamilton said the fact the US had closed borders to Europe and the NBA season has been suspended proved coronavirus had to be taken seriously.
“It’s a concern, I think, for the people here,” he said.
“It’s quite a big circus that has come here, so it’s certainly concerning to me.”
Asked why the race was going ahead, Hamilton said “cash is king”.
A spokesman for US F1 team Haas (Thursday) confirmed two members of its squad were on Thursday sent for precautionary tests, taking the total number of its team potentially infected to four.
And a staff member in the F1 paddock was also isolated and sent for testing on Thursday.
Hamilton urged “everyone to be as careful as you can be”.
“For the fans I really, really hope they take precautions because walking through and seeing everything going as normal, like it’s a normal day, I don’t think it really is,” he said.
“I just hope all the fans stay safe … I really hope we don’t see any fatalities.”
Aussie Daniel Ricciardo said he was placing his faith in the authorities despite acknowledging the problem was “real”.
“At the end of the day I’m here to compete and race cars,” he said.
“I’m not really much more than that in the situation.”
Victoria’s chief medical officer Brett Sutton on Thursday said questions had to be asked about whether mass events such as the Richmond-Carlton AFL season opener went ahead or had to be played with no fans in the stands.
He said statewide restrictions on mass gatherings could last for months if the issue grew worse.
Doctors are advising people not to attend this weekend’s Melbourne Grand Prix.
Australian Medical Association Victorian president Prof Julian Rait advised race fans to stay away from the Albert Park circuit.
“I am not going, I would not advise any of my family or any of my patients to go,” Prof Rait said.
“While the AMA has confidence in the decision-making of the Chief Medical Officer and the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee, we do have some reservations about such a large public gathering being held during the escalation phase of this epidemic.
“At the moment every country’s epidemic trajectory (with the exception of South Korea) is on track to follow that of Italy within the next few weeks.”
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE VICTORIA’S EXPOSURE SITES
Sports around the world on Thursday felt the impact of the coronavirus.
US basketball league the NBA suspended the season after a player tested positive to COVID-19.
UEFA chiefs were on Thursday night reviewing whether to suspend Champions League and Europa League matches.
Spanish soccer giant Real Madrid placed team members in quarantine after a member of its soccer squad also tested positive to coronavirus.
AFL clubs closed training facilities to fans and the NRL banned players were banned from taking selfies with supporters.
And several European soccer leagues, including Series A and La Liga and US college sports, announced they were suspending matches due to the virus.
CONCERN GROWS
Seven new Victorian cases identified on Thursday pushed the Australian total to 141, including three deaths.
In a bid to curb the spread of the killer virus, Australia is now considering banning European travellers, mirroring a shock decision by US President Donald Trump.
Health Minister Greg Hunt said the nation’s top experts were considering that possibility, while confirming existing travel bans for South Korea, Italy, Iran and China were being extended.
About $130 billion was wiped off the value of Australian shares following Mr Trump’s move to temporarily ban travellers from Europe.
Old and unwell Australians were urged to “carefully consider” international travel after the World Health Organisation declared a coronavirus pandemic.
Public servants have also been asked to minimise official overseas visits and parliamentary trips have been postponed.
At least five of Victoria’s latest victims had been overseas before developing symptoms and the state is yet to record an unexplained transmission.
But the list of events attended by infected people has grown to include the 86,000-strong crowd at Sunday’s T20 World Cup cricket final.
A fan who attended Saturday’s Rebels versus Lions rugby match at AAMI Park may also have been contagious, while Latrobe University students who shared classes with an infected student have been asked to self-isolate.
The Department of Health confirmed a reveller from the weekend’s Golden Plains Music Festival had tested positive for the coronavirus.
Despite the growing list of public exposure sites, the Prime Minister on Thursday said Australia was not yet at the stage where events needed to be cancelled.
“I’m going to the footy this weekend and I’m looking forward to it,” Scott Morrison said.
A third Victorian school, Westbourne Grammar in Truganina, closed due to a suspected case of coronavirus. The move was announced to parents on Wednesday as a precaution while a student waited on test results, with classes cancelled for today and Monday.
Education Minister Dan Tehan sought medical advice after he was exposed to coronavirus at the Universities Australia conference, where an attendee tested positive. Mr Tehan said two weeks had passed and “as I have not developed symptoms during this period, there is no need to self-isolate and there is no further actions which I need to take”.
Twelve screening clinics are now operating and more than 5200 coronavirus tests have come back negative.
Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said the time for “unprecedented measures”, including looking at cancelling weddings and funerals, could be ahead.
Around the world COVID-19 has claimed more than 4600 lives and infected more than 126,000 people.
As the situation worsened in Italy, the government ordered the closure of all shops other than pharmacies and supermarkets.
Victoria’s chief health officer Professor Brett Sutton said the situation was evolving rapidly and more cases of COVID-19 were expected.
“For the virus to spread, extended close personal contact is most likely required. But visitors to locations where cases have been should be aware of the signs and symptoms of COVID-19,” he said.
Close contact is defined as face-to-face contact for at least 15 minutes or being in the same enclosed space for at least two hours.
“At the moment, we urge the public to be mindful and take steps to minimise the risk of COVID-19, but Victorians should continue to go about their daily lives as normal,” Mr Sutton said.
“Everyone also has a role to play in protecting yourself and your family. Hands should be washed regularly with soap and water. Cough or sneeze into a tissue or your elbow. If you are ill, stay at home.”
The Victorian Health Department has established a hotline for anyone with queries about coronavirus — 1800 675 398 — but callers should expect delays as large numbers of people attempt to get through to the service.
Information is also available from the department’s website.
COLES EMPLOYEE TESTS POSITIVE
Geelong’s first coronavirus case has been confirmed by the health department, after a young woman who recently returned from the US was diagnosed with COVID-19.
The woman travelled to multiple locations in the US and returned to Melbourne aboard UA0600 from San Francisco.
She became unwell on February 29, the day she flew back.
Before being diagnosed with the virus earlier this week, the woman in her 20s worked two shifts at Coles Waurn Ponds over the long weekend.
Contact tracing by the health department has deemed the supermarket, between the hours of 8.45am and 5pm on Friday, March 6 and 1pm and 6pm on Saturday, March 7, a public exposure site.
People who visited Coles Waurn Ponds during those hours should be aware of COVID-19 signs and symptoms and inform their doctor they visited the site if they feel unwell.
However, the risk of transmission for customers was very low, a DHHS spokesman said.
The spokesman said the department had been working closely with Coles to identify possible close contacts and provide information and support.
Coles issued a statement saying the Department of Health “does not hold any concerns regarding risks to customers or team members”.
“Coles immediately performed an extensive clean of the supermarket in line with recommendations from the Department of Health and will conduct further cleaning overnight as an additional precautionary measure,” the statement read.
The woman is the state’s 20th confirmed coronavirus case, and was one of three confirmed cases in Victoria announced Wednesday.
The health department was contacting her close contacts, who will self-isolate for 14 days.
Two others from the same flight have in recent days been confirmed as having coronavirus, including infected Melbourne doctor Chris Higgins.
Several people who flew from the US to Australia late last month have in recent days been confirmed as having COVID-19.
DOUBT OVER TOP MEDICO MEETINGS
A host of high-level medical conferences have been thrown into doubt over fears of exposing the nation’s top doctors to coronavirus at the same time.
The round of medical conferences that typically take place in May are also being questioned because they could see too many specialists out of hospitals when they are most needed to combat COVID-19.
The Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists said it was closely monitoring the “rapidly changing public health emergency”.
It cancelled oral examinations for 184 trainee anaesthetists due to be held in Australian hospitals this weekend.
ANZCA President Rod Mitchell said: “ANZCA is also monitoring any potential impacts for 2020 meetings and events — including the ANZCA Annual Scientific Meeting in Perth from May 1-5 — and other trainee anaesthetist examinations.
“Our priority is the safety and wellbeing of our patients, fellows, trainees, specialist international medical graduates, staff, and their families.”
The Australian Medical Association said its annual gathering was “under active consideration”.
- Additional reporting from Sarah Aquilina, Anthony Piovesan and Jackie Epstein
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