It's been warned that school closures over coronavirus fears are the "new norm" as two new cases have been confirmed in Australia.
There are fears coronavirus figures across the country will climb even further with 75 Aussies already diagnosed.
The latest are two Year 10 students at a school in Sydney's west and a Year 7 student in the north.
There is growing worry people are not isolating themselves when sick, causing the deadly infection to spread further.
A student in Hobart went to two nightspots and to work at a hotel after he had been told to stay home while waiting for results of tests. A woman in Perth went to an orchestra concert and a Melbourne doctor treated patients while experiencing symptoms.
Now the country’s peak medical body has urged politicians to step back and let Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy be the main voice of the country’s response, to avoid confusion.
READ MORE: ‘Two thirds of world could be infected’
READ MORE: How coronavirus compares to Spanish flu
A man from the Hunter New England area has tested positive for the coronavirus, the local health district has confirmed.
The man, who is aged in his 70s, began showing symptoms after returning from a recent trip to Italy.
He is now in isolation in his home and health staff are checking on him daily, according to the Hunter New England Local Health District (HNEHD).
His close contacts have also been contacted and asked to self-isolate.
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) says a vaccine is a year away and called on the federal government to help further fund research.
The federal government has put $2 million towards a local fund to develop a vaccine and has so far pledged less than $5 million to CEPI.
CEPI chair Jane Halton, a former federal health department head, says about $3 billion is needed so multiple versions of potential vaccines can be developed.
University of Queensland researchers have chosen a vaccine candidate for pre-clinical work while a US team is gearing up for trials, but more are needed.
Picture: Jalaa Marey/AFP
“Whilst you have something in the lab that looks good, either you can’t actually get it to generate the outcome in a human being that you want, or it proves not to be safe or it proves hard to manufacture,” Ms Halton told ABC radio.
“So you need a series of candidates to ensure you end up with one, or preferably more, actual vaccines.”
Ms Halton said even if everything went well, a potential vaccine was still 12 months away and would take many months to produce and distribute.
Australia’s Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy said the vaccine could be of value if the virus proved to be something that occurred every season, similar to the flu.
AAP
Students in NSW have been warned that coronavirus is “no joke” and although their symptoms are likely to be mild the virus could be a lot worse for their mothers and fathers and other older relatives.
Three Sydney school students are among seven new coronavirus cases in NSW.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard on Monday said two year 10 students from St Patrick’s Marist College in Dundas – a 14-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl – were confirmed to have COVID-19.
Their fathers, aged in their 50s, have also been confirmed as having the disease, the minister said.
Additionally, a 12-year-old year 7 pupil from Willoughby Girls High School has been confirmed as having coronavirus.
Her mother – who is of Iranian background but hasn’t travelled recently – has also been diagnosed with the virus.
“This is likely to be the new norm,” Mr Hazzard told reporters on Monday afternoon.
“We have established now a clear orthodoxy. If a child … or a staff member or any other person within a school is found to have the COVID-19 virus then effectively a breather will be taken and a day out will be the immediate requirement.”
The minister said the virus generally impacted young people “in a very, very light way”.
“The symptoms are not profound and they might see it as simply being a light cold,” Mr Hazzard said.
“But it’s no joking matter. It’s not a light-hearted matter.”
The minister said students were “lucky enough” to be in a group unlikely to suffer serious consequences “your mums, your dads, your grandparents, your aunties and your uncles might be in a different position”.
Both co-ed St Patrick’s and Willoughby Girls were closed on Monday and will remain shut on Tuesday as NSW Health tracks who may have been in contact with the infected students.
AAP
A man who's one the seven new NSW coronavirus cases is understood to be the father of one of the children who caught the virus at St Patrick's Marist College at Dundas.
Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said there were "some links" with today's cases to the ADF diagnoses.
"The links go both with Defence, Ryde Hospital some connections and the nursing home and we are at the early stages of our investigation," Dr Chant told reporters.
The new NSW cases are,
· A 14 year old boy and 15 year old girl, both in Year 10, who attend St Patrick’s Marist College, Dundas, along with their fathers, both in their 50s. These cases were found as part of the investigation of an ongoing cluster associated with Defence personnel and links to the Dorothy Henderson Aged Care Facility and Ryde Hospital.
· A 12 year old girl in Year 7, who attends Willoughby Girls High School. This case is under investigation.
· A female in her 50s, the mother of the 12 year old girl. She has not travelled overseas.
· A female in her 30s was very recently notified having returned from the Philippines. NSW Health is establishing her travel movements and identifying any contacts who may require self-isolation and testing if symptoms develop.
Western Australia’s sixth case of coronavirus has been confirmed by health authorities, just hours after they detailed the state’s first person-to-person transmission of COVID-19.
WA chief medical officer Andrew Robertson told reporters the latest case was the son of a woman who had returned to Perth from Jakarta.
Earlier on Monday, WA Health Minister Roger Cook said a woman aged in her 60s had contracted coronavirus from her husband after he returned from Iran in the past fortnight.
Australia imposed a travel ban on Iran on February 29. “Community spread is an inevitability – it’s a question of when not if,” Mr Cook said.
WA’s fourth case was confirmed on Sunday.
The woman, aged in her 70s, had returned to Perth from Cuba via London on Thursday, was tested the next day after suffering mild symptoms and went to a concert at the Perth Concert Hall on Saturday, before the test returned a positive result.
UK comedian Russell Brand was supposed to perform at the same venue on Monday night but said on Twitter the show would be cancelled. “I am not happy with risk for me or for any of you,” he wrote. “My apologies, I hope I see you soon.”
The Department of Health has urged people undergoing testing to remain at home and self-isolate, with results taking up to 48 hours. The state government will open COVID-19 clinics within three Perth hospitals this week.
AAP
The ASX just closed with a 7.33 per cent plunge, which makes today the worst day of trading since the Global Financial Crisis.
This represents around $140b being wiped off Australian shares.
British comedian Russell Brand has cancelled his sold-out gig in Perth tonight after a confirmed case of coronavirus in a visitor at the venue on Saturday.
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said school closures over virus fears are the "new norm" after he confirmed a new case of the coronavirus in Sydney.
He said the woman, in her 30s, had travelled recently from the Philippines.
Another case has just been confirmed in WA.
Of the new confirmed cases in NSW today Mr Hazzard said, “There was a 14-year-old boy and a 15-year-old-girl, both at year 10 at St Patrick’s Marist College, Dundas. There was also a 12-year-old, a young lady from Willoughby Girls High School.
“In regard to the two young people from Dundas, St Patrick’s Marist College, their fathers, aged in their 50s, have also been confirmed as having the coronavirus.
"We have the year seven student, her mum has also been confirmed as having COVID-19. She’s a lady of Iranian origin, but hasn’t travelled recently. So there’s a lot of work to do there to determine the source of that particular infection.”
He said the response from the schools has been very positive and that school closures are "likely to be the new norm" as authorities try to stop the spread of the virus.
“We’ve established now a clear orthodoxy, that is if a child or a staff member, or any other person within that school, is found to have the COVID-19 virus, then effectively a breather will be taken and a day out will be the immediate requirement,” he said.
“So tomorrow, both of the schools involved will take a day out, while health has time to do the work that health does so well, in terms of tracing contacts.”
The new case takes the number of cases in NSW to 47. There are 476 cases under investigation.
In WA, health minister Roger Cook says the state has confirmed its sixth case, in addition to the case reported this morning.
"The sixth case is the son of the woman who travelled from Jakarta and then on to Melbourne," he said.
"We’ve tested all her family and only her son has now shown up with the coronavirus.
"We are now working with that family to understand all their movements."
Aldi has followed Coles and Woolworths in revising its toilet paper restrictions, now allowing shoppers just one pack per transaction.
Australia’s third-largest supermarket has called on its customers to show “kindness, empathy and calmness when shopping”.
A new priority care centre in South Australia will help the state cope with the impact of coronavirus, the health minister says.
Adelaide’s fourth centre was opened at Marion by Stephen Wade, who said it would deal with some patients who would have presented to an emergency department.
“This new centre, together with the new coronavirus centre near the RAH and the many initiatives focused on easing pressure on the state’s emergency departments, mean we are better prepared for an increase in coronavirus cases,” he said on Monday.
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