First case of coronavirus for Queensland brings Aussie total to seven

Two more Aussies have reportedly been infected with the coronavirus in China, as the number of cases in Australia rises to seven.

Scott Morrison speaking this morning. Picture: ABC

Two Australian in South China’s Guangdong province have been confirmed as having the coronavirus according to Chinese media reports.

The Global Times cited local government officials in reporting that the Australian nationals and one Pakistani contracted the disease. The news has not yet been confirmed by the Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade.

It comes as the national toll in Australia rose to seven after Queensland recorded its first case of the potentially deadly disease.

It was confirmed in a 44-year-old Chinese national, who is currently isolated in the Gold Coast University Hospital. The man, who is from the city of Wuhan where the virus broke out, is stable.

The Queensland case comes just hours after a sixth person was confirmed to have the virus in Victoria. The man in his 60s became unwell on January 23 and was tested through his GP.

Victoria’s chief health officer Dr Brett Sutton said some of his family members had shown symptoms but none had returned a positive result so far.

Dr Sutton said the man had mostly isolated himself but had gone to the House of Delight restaurant. He assured people the restaurant posed no risk.

Australia has ramped up its response to the deadly infection in recent days, with chief medical officer Brendan Murphy announcing on Wednesday Australia was taking a “highly precautionary approach” and making the following new recommendations.

Those who have had contact with any confirmed coronavirus cases must now must be isolated in their home following exposure.

Returned travellers who have been in the Hubei province of China, not just Wuhan where the virus broke out, must also be isolated in their home for 14 days after leaving the area, other than seeking medical care.

“Given the substantially lower number of cases in China reported outside of Hubei province, we do not currently recommend self-isolation for travellers from other parts of China or from other countries,” Mr Murphy said.

“We are however closely monitoring the development of cases outside of the Hubei province and will update this advice if necessary.”

He said the aim was containment of novel coronavirus and the prevention of person-to-person transmission within Australia.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said even if a person hadn’t been in direct contact with someone who had coronavirus they should still self-isolate on returning to Australia.

“This makes Australia one of the most forward leading and one of the most cautious countries in the world,” he said.

“We make no apology for that. Our job is to save lives and protect lives. Our job is to make sure above all else we’re protecting the health of Australian citizens. With these decisions we have become one of the world’s most cautious and conservative countries with the decisions we’ve taken.”

Staff disinfecting a residential area in China’s central Jiangxi province, which neighbours Hubei province. Picture: STR/AFP

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has revealed the government is preparing to evacuate Australians from China’s coronavirus-plagued Hubei province and quarantine them on Christmas Island.

“We have taken the decision this morning to prepare a plan for an operation to provide some assisted departures for isolated and vulnerable Australians in Wuhan and the Hubei province,” Mr Morrison said at a press conference in Canberra this morning.

“I stress there is a rather limited window here and we are moving very, very swiftly to ensure we can put this plan together.”

About 400 Australians have registered for evacuation from Wuhan. The coronavirus has caused 132 deaths so far, most of them in Hubei province.

There are currently 6000 confirmed cases of the virus worldwide, and the number of suspected cases has risen to more than 9000.

NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant this afternoon revealed 16 cases between the ages of two and 66 were under investigation in the state.

In Queensland 19 people have been tested, with results expected later this evening.

Officials there are also working with a women’s football team that have been to Wuhan and are staying in Brisbane.

Mr Morrison said the operation would proceed on a “last in, first out” basis, meaning Australians who arrived in China most recently will be the main focus of the evacuations.

“For those who have been there who do not have an established support infrastructure where they’re living, they would have been shorter term travellers to that area, they would not have been living there for many years, and we’re particularly focused on the more vulnerable components of that population,” the Prime Minister said.

“That's young people, particularly infants, and those who are elderly.”

And he stressed there was “no guarantee” the operation would be successful.

The government will quarantine evacuees on Christmas Island, which was reopened after the medevac laws were passed against Mr Morrison’s will early last year, but ultimately was not used to house asylum seekers medically transferred to Australia.

“We will be standing up Christmas Island as a quarantine area. They will be transported to Christmas Island, where we’ll also be putting in place the Ozmat team,” Mr Morrison said.

“I also want to stress that for Christmas Island, we will be ensuring there will be support provided directly to the Christmas Island community, completely separate and quarantined from the support that is being provided in the quarantine zone.

“The defence forces have been tasked to identify overflow facilities where that may be necessary, and also to provide whatever logistical and other support is necessary.”

Evacuees will be quarantined on the island for a fortnight, which is a period in line with medical advice.

The Prime Minister spoke about a number of smaller measures as well, such as the release of a million masks from the national stockpile to go to pharmacies and doctors, and the upgrading of DFAT advice to tell Australians to “reconsider all travel to China”.

He urged Australians to get information about the coronavirus from official sources, with misinformation spreading online.

“A key part of our armoury is information, and having the right information, and ensuring people are going to the right source of information and making decisions based on that accurate information,” he said.

“I would encourage all Australians to focus on getting that information from the trusted sources, which are directly from public health authorities.”

Scott Morrison speaking in Canberra this morning.

Earlier today, Channel 9 host Karl Stefanovic questioned the federal education minister’s advice on schools in an interview about the spread of the deadly coronavirus in Australia.

On the Today show this morning, the outspoken host asked minister Dan Tehan whether parents should be “isolating” their kids for up to two weeks to help stop the virus’s spread.

The minister said schools and parents should be following medical expert advice, which is that you are fine to send your kids to school unless you’ve been in direct contact with someone who has the virus or is showing symptoms.

However, Stefanovic argued the Federal Government’s advice is constantly changing. Just after midnight last night, the government issued new travel advice for China, warning all Australians should now reconsider their need to travel to the country.

“With the greatest respect, the advice is changing so quickly,” Stefanovic said, responding to the minister. “Last night, it changed in the dead of the night.

“Now it is going to evolve into something else. Isn’t it better that we take precautions now and take it to the extreme?

“Unless you’ve been in direct contact with someone who has the virus… you’re fine to go to school or go to a childcare centre.” Education Minister Tehan is urging Australians to listen to the advice of medical professionals in regards to Coronavirus. #9Today pic.twitter.com/WTwHnM6PHy

— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) January 28, 2020

“And we’re talking about extreme, just isolate your kids for two weeks, that is not a big burden, otherwise we run the risk of this thing going and spreading faster than we can take control of?”

Mr Tehan responded by saying parents should be listening to the advice of medical experts.

“That advice is unless you’ve been in direct contact with someone who has the virus or is showing symptoms, you are fine to go to school or go to a childcare centre,” he said.

“Individual schools can make their own decisions. But as Education Minister, with Health Minister Greg Hunt, we’ve got to take the advice of the medical experts. It is medical experts not only here in Australia, but also overseas.”

He added that schools are run by the state and territories, but he has been in “permanent contact” with education ministers around the nation about the spread of the coronavirus.

“We will change the advice when it comes to schools, when it comes to childcare centres, when it comes to universities if they (medical experts) advise us that is the right thing to do,” he said.

“We can’t act on whims here. We have to act on the best available information which is provided to us and that is what the Federal Government will continue to do.”

Overnight, foreign minister Marise Payne announced new travel advice, just after midnight, saying no-one should travel to China’s Hubei province, where dozens of people have died and thousands more have been infected by the coronavirus.

We now advise you to ‘reconsider your need to travel’ to China overall, due to the outbreak of novel #coronavirus & travel restrictions by local authorities. ‘Do not travel’ to #Hubei Province. Contact your doctor for symptoms of respiratory illness. https://t.co/8HM6dAGpM7

— Marise Payne (@MarisePayne) January 28, 2020

“Due to the outbreak of novel coronavirus we now advise you ‘reconsider your need to travel’ to China overall and ‘do not travel’ to Hubei province,” the advice on smartraveller.gov.au now reads.

“Chinese authorities have restricted travel for parts of the country and may extend these restrictions at short notice. Travellers may be quarantined, due to their health condition or previous location.”

This all comes as a young woman is being tested for coronavirus in Tasmania but heath authorities say it is unlikely she has the deadly disease.

The woman, in her 20s, reported feeling unwell after a recent trip to China and is being tested at the Launceston General Hospital.

“While coronavirus is not strongly suspected, health authorities are taking a precautionary approach,” Dr Mark Veitch, state Director of Public Health, said in a statement on Wednesday.

Five people are being treated in Australian hospitals for the virus, with four of those cases in NSW alone.

NSW schoolchildren have been told to stay at home if they’ve returned from China within the past 14 days – the incubation period of the virus.

Authorities are bracing for more infections to be confirmed in Australia, and are working to trace all human contact made by infected patients since they entered the country.

Four adult patients in Western Australia were cleared of the virus after undergoing tests on Tuesday evening.

Around 400 Australian citizens have registered to be evacuated from Wuhan. Picture: Getty Images

THE LATEST AUSTRALIAN FIGURES ON CORONAVIRUS:

NATIONALLY

• Five people have the virus after returning from China’s Hubei province, where coronavirus first surfaced in December. All are being treated in hospital and are in a stable condition.

• About 400 Australian citizens have registered for evacuation from the city of Wuhan in Hubei.

• At this stage, health authorities do not believe people can pass on coronavirus unless they have symptoms.

SCHOOLS

• Official advice to school students who have returned to Australia from China is that if they are healthy, it is reasonable for them to attend school. If they have been in contact with somebody with coronavirus, they should not attend school for up to 14 days.

• But some Australian private schools have told students who have recently visited China to stay at home for a fortnight. Brisbane’s Stuarthome School for girls will keep 10 of its boarders in quarantine for two weeks after they arrived from China this week.

NSW

• Four confirmed cases - a 21-year-old University of NSW student who was diagnosed after flying back from the virus epicentre in Wuhan, and three men - aged 35, 43 and 53 - who are being treated at Westmead Hospital.

• Six potential cases are being assessed.

VICTORIA

• One confirmed case - a man in his 50s is being treated at Monash Medical Centre while four of his family are under home isolation.

• Thirteen people have been tested, but authorities do not believe they are likely to have the virus.

• 42 Victorians have tested negative.

SA

• Six people tested, awaiting results.

• One person tested and cleared.

WA

• Four people tested and awaiting results, with one case believed to be “probable”.

QUEENSLAND

• Four people tested negative. 19 more awaiting results.

TASMANIA

• A women in her 20s who recently travelled to China is being tested for coronavirus in Launceston after becoming unwell. A man was discharged from hospital on Sunday after testing negative.

INTERNATIONAL

• At least 132 people have died from the virus

• The number of cases in China has risen beyond 4515, after 1771 new cases were confirmed on Monday. Of those, 976 are in a serious condition

(Sources: China’s National Health Commission, Australian Chief Medical Officer and state chief health officers)

With AAP