Australia coronavirus death toll rises to 68 after three more fatalities overnight

Australia's coronavirus death toll has risen by three to 68 on Saturday.

The North West Private Hospital is one of two hospitals closed in Burnie because of a coronavirus outbreak.

The North West Private Hospital is one of two hospitals closed in Burnie because of a coronavirus outbreak. Source: AAP

New South Wales and Tasmania have recorded new deaths from coronavirus, bringing the nation's total to 68. 

A sixth Queenslander died in Sydney after contracting the coronavirus while onboard a cruise liner. 

The 83-year-old man died while quarantining after he was a passenger on the Celebrity Eclipse.

A 58-year-old woman died in Tamworth Hospital in NSW and authorities are attempting to trace how she contracted the virus.
A 74-year-old man died in the North West Regional Hospital in Tasmania, bringing that state's total to eight. 

"Eight deaths are eight deaths too many. And unfortunately there will be more. We need to ready ourselves for that," Premier Peter Gutwein said on Saturday.

It comes after a 72-year-old man died on Friday from the virus.

"We confirmed four new cases of coronavirus, all were related to the northwest of the state," Mr Gutwein said.

He said they were seeing two very different situations in the state with the northwest experiencing an outbreak of the virus.

"We have to work very hard to contain and get on top of and we are taking every measure that we can," Mr Gutwein said.
Premier of Tasmania Peter Gutwein speaking to media in Sydney, Friday, March 13, 2020.
Premier of Tasmania Peter Gutwein speaking to media. Source: AAP
In Queensland, there were eight new COVID-19 cases diagnosed overnight, bringing the total number of people infected in Queensland since the crisis began to 1014. Of those, 738 people have recovered.

Health Minister Steven Miles said 271 people remain ill with the virus, with 22 in hospital. Nine people are in intensive care, seven on ventilators.

"As tragic as the loss of another life is, it reminds us of the effort we are all going to has already saved the lives of dozens of Queenslanders," he said.
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said he was buoyed as just 10 new cases of the virus were diagnosed in the state in the 24 hours to 8pm Friday, despite an increase in testing.

After 26 cases were recorded the day prior, it takes the total number of cases in the state to 2936.

"It is certainly positive but there has been a reduction in a number of cases and it is particularly positive, having in mind that the number of tests that were done dramatically increased to 5152 tests," Mr Hazzard said.

People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others and gatherings are limited to two people unless you are with your family or household.

If you believe you may have contracted the virus, call your doctor (don’t visit) or contact the national Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080. If you are struggling to breathe or experiencing a medical emergency, call 000.

SBS is committed to informing Australia’s diverse communities about the latest COVID-19 developments. News and information is available in 63 languages at 


Share
Published 18 April 2020 1:10pm
Updated 18 April 2020 1:58pm
Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world