Australia confirms second death related to coronavirus

A 95-year-old woman has become the second Australian to die from the new coronavirus, with seven more cases confirmed in the country.

The woman died in hospital on Tuesday before testing positive for the COVID-19 virus.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the woman was a resident of BaptistCare’s Dorothy Henderson Lodge in northern Sydney, the same aged care facility where a nurse in her 50s was diagnosed with the virus.

A 70-year-old female resident and an 82-year-old male resident at the facility have also tested positive for the virus, bringing the state’s total to 22 cases, NSW Health confirmed on Wednesday night.

The “much-loved” and longstanding nurse had not recently travelled overseas, Hazzard said.

“She had not been to any of the hot spots around the world. So, that raises the question, how did she end up with coronavirus?” he said.

The staff member had worked with 13 residents – including the woman who died – after first noticing symptoms on February 24, before being diagnosed on Tuesday.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian advised people to “stay calm” amid the rising number of cases.

“Yes, it is a concern and all of us should be cautious, all of us should take the advice of health experts, no doubt about it,” she said. “But we should also go about our business and not panic.”

There were 54 confirmed cases of coronavirus nationally as of Thursday morning. Out of the cases, 21 were reported to have recovered.