Coronavirus: man evacuated from Diamond Princess becomes first Australian to die of Covid-19
Australia has recorded its first death from Covid-19 after authorities confirmed a man in his late 70s died at a Perth hospital on Sunday.
The Western Australian chief health officer, Andrew Robertson, said the man was in an intensive care unit when he died in the early hours of Sunday morning. The man’s wife was diagnosed with the coronavirus a few days ago and is now in a stable condition, he added.
Asked if the man’s age or prior health had been a factor, Robertson noted people of his age were more “likely to have other chronic conditions” which could make it harder to fight off the disease. The man was diagnosed at Howard Springs, Northern Territory, about 10 days ago.
