Bystanders ‘feared coronavirus’ after man collapsed outside Chinatown restaurant

A man has collapsed and died outside a restaurant in Sydney’s Chinatown after bystanders reportedly failed to perform CPR out of fears of coronavirus.

A man has collapsed and died of a suspected cardiac arrest outside a restaurant in Sydney’s Chinatown after bystanders reportedly failed to perform CPR out of fears he had coronavirus.

A NSW Police spokeswoman said officers were called to the Masuya Suisan restaurant on Campbell Street in Haymarket just after 8.30pm on Tuesday night “following reports of a concern for welfare”.

“Officers attached to Sydney City Police Area Command attended along with NSW Ambulance paramedics and commenced CPR on a 60-year-old man who is believed to have suffered a medical episode,” she said.

“Despite efforts to revive him the man died at the scene. There are no suspicious circumstances. A report will be prepared for the coroner.”

The spokeswoman would not comment on a report in The Daily Telegraph that bystanders refused to administer CPR due to coronavirus fears.

It comes after unconfirmed viral videos circulating on social media claim to show people believed to have coronavirus collapsing on the street in China.

There are now seven confirmed cases in Australia — four in NSW, two in Victoria and one in Queensland. There have been no deaths due to the virus.

The official death toll in China has now leapt to 170 with 7711 cases reported within the country. The outbreak has spread to more than a dozen countries, with at least 91 confirmed cases outside China.

The World Health Organisation will reconvene on Thursday to determine whether the outbreak constitutes a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern”.

Police and paramedics were unable to revive the 60-year-old. Picture: Bill Hearne

AUSTRALIA GRAPPLES WITH CORONAVIRUS

• Seven people have the virus after returning to Australia from Hubei province in central China.

• There are four in NSW, two in Victoria and one in Queensland. All are stable and being treated in hospital.

• The latest case — and Queensland’s first — was confirmed on Wednesday night.

• It involves a 44-year-old Chinese national from Wuhan in Hubei.

• He was staying in a Gold Coast hotel and is now in isolation in a Gold Coast hospital.

• China’s women’s soccer team is in isolation at a Brisbane hotel after arriving on Wednesday.

• The team was recently in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province. The quarantine measures are a precaution. All 32 players and staff are so far well.

• The move has thrown Olympic qualifying matches involving Aussie team The Matildas into turmoil.

• Other people are currently being tested for the virus in NSW (7), Victoria (14), Western Australia (1) and Tasmania (1) and are awaiting their results.

• The federal government plans to evacuate Australians from Wuhan after about 400 citizens and residents registered for help to get out.

• They will be flown to Christmas Island and put in quarantine for two weeks.

• Qantas has offered an aircraft for the joint operation to be conducted with New Zealand; discussions are ongoing and China must approve the plan.

• The federal health department has issued new advice amid evidence the virus has been spread by people before they develop any symptoms.

• Anyone who has recently been to Hubei must isolate themselves at home for 14 days from the date of their departure.

• Anyone who has had contact with a confirmed case must do the same.

• Some 170 people have died from the virus in mainland China, and the number of confirmed cases is now more than 7000. Most of the deaths have been in Hubei province.

• Some major airlines have halted all flights to China, but so far Qantas is not among them.

• The virus is now present in most of Australia’s regional neighbours including Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Japan, Vietnam and Cambodia.

• The Australian government warns people should reconsider travel to China and should not go to Hubei province.

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With AAP