Disease may run rampant
THE death toll for the new coronavirus has topped 100 people, as Australia declares the outbreak has “pandemic potential”.
International health authorities are warning they still don’t know if the disease is contagious during its incubation period – before symptoms even begin to show.
It has now spread throughout Asia, as well as Germany, France, the US and Canada, with five cases confirmed in Australia.
But local health authorities are urging people to stay calm, even as an influx of Australians is expected to be returning from China following Lunar New Year celebrations.
The National Security Committee, headed by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, is meeting every few days and updating border protection.
The Morrison Government said the country had measures in place to identify and isolate potentially infected people.
Despite this, Health Minister Greg Hunt confirmed that the number of infected people in Australia will rise as the outbreak continues.
While the World Health Organisation was yet to declare the new coronavirus as a “pandemic of global significance”, Mr Hunt declared it had pandemic potential.
“We have biosecurity officials boarding all planes from China looking for symptoms,” he said.
Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy said there was still no cause for concern for Australians at this stage.
“There is no human to human transmission of this virus (in Australia) … There is no need for the Australian public to wear masks,” Prof Murphy said.
There has been more than 4000 cases of the virus confirmed worldwide, including more than 2700 in China.