Six new cases of coronavirus confirmed in NSW

A fifteenth person has tested positive for coronavirus in New South Wales, with the woman believed to have acquired the illness locally.

Another person has tested positive for the novel coronavirus in New South Wales, bringing the state’s total to 15.

The latest case is a woman aged in her 50s, who has not travelled outside of Australia recently and is believed to have acquired the illness locally, NSW Health said in a statement.

Five others were also diagnosed with the COVID-19 disease on Tuesday.

The first was a 39-year-old man who travelled from Iran via Kuala Lumpur and Singapore on February 28.

Another man, aged 53, also tested positive after returning to Sydney from Singapore on the same date.

The following two cases were both women in their 60s, with one recently returning to Sydney from South Korea and the other returning from Japan.

The fifth was a male in his 30s who returned from Iran to Sydney on March 1 via Kuala Lumpur.

NSW Health said he may have been infectious on his flight and the passengers seated around him would be contacted.

NSW Minister for Heath Brad Hazzard speaking at a press conference providing an update on the current state of coronavirus in NSW. Picture: James Gourley/AAP

“We are seeing quite an escalation of diagnoses of the virus,” NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard told reporters.

“Having said that, the people who have been diagnosed in the last little while today in the latest pathology runs have all had a fairly positive position in that they were diagnosed in the early stages.”

Mr Hazzard also provided more details on the 53-year-old Sydney doctor that was yesterday found to have been one of the first cases of human-to-human transmission of the virus in Australia.

The Minister for Health confirmed to reporters that the man had been working at Sydney’s Ryde Hospital at the time.

“NSW Health has been working very hard to establish which staff were in close proximity to the doctor and also which patients,” he said.

This comes after Queensland recorded a new case of the virus on Tuesday.

A Chinese uni student infected with the coronavirus “self-quarantined” himself for two weeks in Dubai before flying to Brisbane.

The 20-year-old man has been confirmed as the 10th person to be infected by the coronavirus in Queensland.

He is in a stable condition in isolation in the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.

The University of Queensland student had travelled to Dubai for at least 14 days before entering Australia, via Brisbane, on February 23.

He became unwell two days later.

He spent two weeks in Dubai before boarding a flight to Australia — a 14-day “self-quarantine” period which allows travellers from China to beat the coronavirus travel ban by arriving in Australia via third countries.

Federal government figures show 1477 students arrived in Australia on Friday and Saturday using this loophole.

Queensland chief health officer Jeannette Young says the man travelled to Dubai. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Peled

The largest group of arriving students are coming through ­Malaysia and Thailand.

Australian universities have copped criticism for offering cash “grants” to Chinese students to help them get around the coronavirus travel ban

Queensland chief health officer Jeannette Young said authorities were looking into where the man may have contracted the disease.

“The male has recently returned to Brisbane and we are working closely with relevant authorities to undertake contact tracing,” Dr Young said.

“The male lived with one other housemate in Toowong. We are in contact with the male’s housemate, who is undergoing assessment.

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“Our contact tracing methods are tried and trusted and we will take every opportunity to raise awareness of this case in the community if there has been any community exposure.”

It’s understood the student has not attended any university classes.

There have now been 10 people in Queensland with COVID-19, including the three people from the Diamond Princess Cruise Ship.

The most recent case, a 63-year-old woman, remains in isolation in a stable condition at Gold Coast University Hospital.

The other eight patients have been clinically cleared by their treating team and discharged from hospital.

The latest case comes as a warning for Australians on board a flight with an infected patient has been issued.

Passengers who sat near a coronavirus-infected woman on a Qatar-to-Sydney flight are being advised to immediately isolate themselves at home.

A woman in her 50s flew into Australia from Iran via Qatar on February 23 aboard Qatar Airways flight 908.

She developed symptoms of COVID-19 the next day and was tested on Saturday after attending a hospital emergency department.

NSW Health on Tuesday said the airline had passed on the infected passenger’s seat details as well as the names of those sitting nearby.

The health authority is now urging adjacent passengers — seated two rows in front and behind seat 43H — to self-isolate and contact their local GP or public health unit.

“NSW Health will contact these passengers immediately once their email or phone numbers have been provided by the relevant federal authority,” the health department said in a statement.

NSW authorities on Monday evening confirmed the first cases of locally-acquired coronavirus.

A 53-year-old male doctor is in a stable condition at Westmead Hospital and “going quite well”, Health Minister Brad Hazzard told the Nine Network on Tuesday.

Passengers on a Qatar Airways flight are being advised to isolate themselves. Picture: AP Photo/Michael Probst

The minister said it still wasn’t clear if the man had infected others after becoming contagious.

Tasmania also confirmed its first case on Monday – a 40-year-old man who recently returned from Iran tested positive.

Back in Queensland, Dr Young said the state was well prepared to respond to COVID-19 and that the safety of Queenslanders is our number one priority.

“Our health system is working to keep Queenslanders safe from the virus, but the best weapon the community can deploy against the virus is handwashing.”

“Washing your hands is the gold standard of health advice as far as coronavirus goes,” Dr Young said.

“Washing your hands properly and often means that you can help prevent viruses from entering your body.”

— Factboxes by AAP