Coronavirus: ‘Fit, healthy’ WA man Ray Daniels dead within 48 hours

Perth retiree Ray Daniels had been on a cruise before collapsing in his home on Wednesday. His shattered family say he showed no major signs of illness and are now issuing a warning.

Perth retiree Ray Daniels has died from the coronavirus.

The second person to die of COVID-19 in Western Australia has been remembered by his family as a “very fit, healthy and active man with no known underlying health issues.”

Perth retiree Ray Daniels, who was 73, collapsed at home on Wednesday morning and died within 48 hours.

It has been confirmed that Mr Daniels was a passenger on a cruise ship, meaning that both WA deaths so far have been directly linked to cruise ships.

The family of Mr Daniels, whose son is a serving WA police officer, asked Police Commissioner Chris Dawson on Friday to read their statement to the media.

“Clearly this virus does not discriminate and we never believed for one second that it would take him from us,” the family said. “Everybody needs to take this virus seriously and follow the health advice that is being given.”

Cruise ships head into Fremantle Harbour on March 26.

“He was a very fit, healthy and active man with no known underlying health issues. He showed no real significant signs of being unwell until he collapsed at home on Wednesday morning.”

The family thanked the paramedics, doctors and nurses at Joondalup Health campus “who tried everything to save his life.”

It is the state’s second coronavirus death, and both cases involved cruise ship passengers.

78-year-old West Australian man James Kwan died from coronavirus in Perth on March 1. He contracted the virus on board the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan, and died after being repatriated to Australia. He died at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Perth.

James Kwan, 78, was the first Australian victim of coronavirus. His wife is Theresa, 79, has recovered.

Mr Kwan’s 79-year-old wife also tested positive for the virus, but has recovered.

The high number of cruise ship-related cases in WA was further highlighted by the release on Friday of the latest positive cases.

Out of 24 new cases, 11 are related to cruise ship voyages, bringing the state total of cruise ship infected passengers to 62.

Five of the new passengers testing positive were from the Ruby Princess, three from the Ovation of the Seas, two from the Voyager of the Seas and one from the Celebrity Solstice. It has not yet been confirmed which ship Mr Daniels had travelled on.