Victoria on high alert as China’s deadly coronavirus spreads
A man has been picked up by biosecurity officers at Melbourne Airport after sparking fears he may have contracted the deadly coronavirus while travelling in China.
VIC News
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A man was picked up by biosecurity officers as he got off a plane from China at Melbourne Airport this morning.
The man in his 40s developed respiratory issues while travelling in a part of China, raising concern for officials.
“A returned traveller from China has been reviewed by biosecurity officers at Melbourne Airport this morning as a precaution, after developing a respiratory illness whilst overseas,” a Victorian Department of Health and Human Services said.
“The man, in his forties, returned from a part of China not known to have cases of the recently-identified novel coronavirus.
“The man has been transferred to hospital where a further assessment has determined he is not at risk of coronavirus.”
The man was taken to hospital by Ambulance Victoria.
It comes as Victorian doctors have been put on high alert amid concerns a deadly new virus could make its way to Australia.
The mysterious SARS-like novel coronavirus has claimed at least nine lives after it was first detected in China in December.
A Queensland man suspected of carrying the virus has been freed from of isolation.
A Queensland Health spokesman said he had recovered from his illness, but that he would not be cleared until his test results were returned.
Victoria’s Acting Chief Health Officer Dr Angie Bone said health practitioners around the state were on high alert.
“Victorians and visitors returning from Wuhan City in China have been advised to closely monitor their health following an increase in the number of novel coronavirus cases,” she said
“We have issued an alert to hospitals and GPs and we are providing advice about the symptoms.”
Speaking this morning, Australia’s chief medical officer Brendan Murphy said it was likely the virus would be detected in Australia after a case was confirmed in the United States overnight.
“We have more concern than we have next week,” he told the ABC this morning.
Australia’s National Incident Response Centre has been activated as the virus situation evolves.
“I’m advised by the Chief Medical Officer the risk of transmission in Australia remains low, however the situation is evolving,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.
“Our National Incident Response Centre has been activated and is helping co-ordinate our response with Commonwealth medical experts working together with states and territories.
“We have the best health system in the world and we are prepared to deal with this situation. While Australians should remain alert, they should not be alarmed.”
It comes as passengers flying into Australia from the Chinese virus hot spot will be screened at the airport amid fears the killer disease might have reached the country.
Australians going to the Chinese city of Wuhan are being advised to exercise a “high degree of caution”.
Travellers arriving from Wuhan will be screened and handed information pamphlets in English and Chinese about the virus’s symptoms and risks.
Australia’s National Incident Response Centre has been activated as the virus situation evolves.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CORONAVIRUS
“I’m advised by the Chief Medical Officer the risk of transmission in Australia remains low, however the situation is evolving,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.
“Our National Incident Response Centre has been activated and is helping co-ordinate our response with Commonwealth medical experts working together with states and territories.
“We have the best health system in the world and we are prepared to deal with this situation. While Australians should remain alert, they should not be alarmed.”
WHAT IS CORONAVIRUS?
The novel coronavirus is in the same family as SARS, which claimed more than 700 lives and spread around the world in the early 2000s.
Symptoms of the new virus include fever and respiratory issues, making it tricky to detect.
Australia’s chief medical officer, Brendan Murphy, the national response to the “rapidly evolving matter” included airport screening and information sharing.
“We have well-established mechanisms to detect and respond to ill travellers, and processes in place to implement further measures if the risk increases,” he said.
There are 160 flights from China to Australia every week.
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“If anyone has a fever or suspect they might have this disease and if they are suspected of having this condition, NSW Health will follow up as per our normal border security and biosecurity protocols,” Prof Murphy said.
Further screening is being considered after the World Health Organisation this week confirmed the virus could be transmitted between humans.
The WHO will convene an emergency committee this week to discuss if the outbreak constitutes an international public health emergency.
Cases have been confirmed in several areas of China as well as Thailand, South Korea and Japan.