Sixth Aussie dies of virus, four new WA cases

A SIXTH Australian has died from coronavirus as WA health minister Roger Cook said four new cases of coronavirus were confirmed in WA overnight.

An 86-year-old man previously confirmed to have COVID-19 died on Tuesday night in a Sydney hospital.

Meanwhile, WA’s new cases take the state’s tally to 35.

Mr Cook said more information on the cases would be provided at 1pm.

PM’s blunt message to panic buyers

Premier Mark McGowan pleaded with travellers to “come home now” on Wednesday after the Commonwealth updated its travel advisory for the entire world to level four.

“That’s saying going overseas is dangerous so don’t do it,” he told reporters.

“If people do, they are taking a risk and the chances are they won’t get home, and they certainly won’t get travel insurance.

“If this doesn’t work, clearly the federal government will need to close down international tourism completely and I would urge them to do that as soon as all Australians get home.”

Mr McGowan also insisted people reconsider non-essential interstate travel.

He said the state government was working on regulations restricting visits to remote Aboriginal communities as indigenous people were especially vulnerable to illness.

Police patrols in shopping areas will be stepped up amid panic buying of supplies.

“People are acting like jerks, drongos and bloody idiots … and I’d urge them to stop,” Mr McGowan said.

He insisted school closures were a last resort, saying it would be “catastrophic”.

Workers performing crucial functions in the community, including 30 per cent of healthcare employees, would be removed from the workforce as they cared for their children at home.

“We’ll also endanger grandparents who are looking after those kids.

“They are going to stay open for as long as we can.”

State health minister Roger Cook said he was disappointed opposition leader Liza Harvey had revealed a parent in the John XXIII College community had contracted COVID-19.

She told parliament on Tuesday the family was in self-isolation.

Mr Cook said he could not definitively say whether all of the four new cases had contracted the virus overseas, saying the results were “very fresh” and they may not have been advised yet.

He said on Tuesday there were no cases of community transmission in WA, while the state’s chief health officer Andrew Robertson said that would happen in a couple of weeks.