Coronavirus updates LIVE: Scott Morrison announces travel ban on South Korea as cases surge around globe

Summary

NSW has recorded its first coronavirus-related death, a 95-year-old resident of a Sydney aged care facility
A total of 52 cases of the virus have been confirmed in Australia.
Italy is preparing new emergency measures to try to slow the spread of coronavirus there, including the possible closure of all schools, universities, cinemas, theatres and most public events
South Korea, Italy and Iran now account for 80 per cent of new coronavirus cases outside of China
WHO said about 3.4 per cent of people infected with COVID-19 globally have died, making it more fatal than the common flu

4.08pm

NSW Labor calls for action against counterfeit face masks

Shadow Minister for Consumer Protection Julia Finn called for the state government to crack down on counterfeit and substandard masks.

“We are now seeing people searching for masks to protect them from Coronavirus are facing another problem – substandard or fake masks,” Ms Finn said.

Hot property: Gas masks have been flying off the shelves.Credit:AAP

“The NSW Government needs to be educating consumers, warning them of scams and con-artists and explaining how and where to buy from legitimate companies."

The Shadow Health Minister Ryan Park said that the party would work with the Liberal government to advocate for more commonwealth funding.

"It’s vital we are prepared and have the resources to cope with a widespread outbreak," he said.

3.54pm

Virus tracing delayed as federal government sits on flight manifest

By Lydia Lynch

Health authorities working to track down people on the same flight as a Queensland man infected with novel coronavirus have been delayed as the federal government is yet to hand over a flight manifest.

Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young.Credit:AAP/Dan Peled

The 26-year-old man from Logan, south of Brisbane, flew into Brisbane airport on February 26 from Iran.

On Thursday, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the manifest was yet to be handed over to contact tracers.

3.44pm

Apocalypse now: Survivalist prepares to 'bug out' before pandemic hits

By Marta Pascual Juanola and Kate Hedley

As supermarket shelves are being stripped bare of every essential item from toilet paper to hand sanitiser with panic buyers stocking up in preparation for a coronavirus worst-case scenario, one Perth man has been ready for years.

Jim Greer has a truck stocked up and ready to go in his backyard in the event of an emergency. Credit:Marta Pascual Juanola

And it's a pretty fair bet few are as prepared for anything as Jim Greer.

A long-time survivalist, or prepper, Mr Greer has an eight-tonne truck ready to go at a moment's notice if an emergency hits.

3.33pm

Foodbank puts limit on items after hoarders snap up supply

On Wednesday evening, Foodbank Australia posted on social media pleading for shoppers to think of people who can't get to their local supermarket on a regular basis, for physical or financial reasons. By Thursday, several items in the organisation's stockpile had been depleted to the point where they were capped on how many they could give out to each charity.

Foodbank is now the largest hunger relief organisation in Australia – servicing over 2,400 charities in every state and territory and 815,000 people a month.

Foodbank Australia has been inundated with requests. Credit:AAP

Foodbank Australia CEO Brianna Casey said there had been a surge demand for some products.

"It's obviously early days, but our state warehouses are noticing a sharp increase in demand for toilet paper, tissues, toilet paper and soap as well as long-life milk, pasta, and rice," she said.

"It's reached the stage where we need to put a limit on some of our products to ensure there's equitable access."

She said that the organisation was facing a "perfect storm" of over-demand and lack of supply in the near future.

"What we do know is the combination of drought, bushfires and COVID-19 is going to have an impact on the economy and we know there's going to be more demand on families, and demand for our services to rise sharply," she said.

"This panic buying has to stop."

3.05pm

A man has been Tasered following a toilet paper dispute

By Sally Rawsthorne

A man has been Tasered and arrested following a dispute that ended in an alleged assault over toilet paper in a department store in Tamworth on Thursday.

"Just after 10am police have been told a 50 year old man began to argue with a staff member and another customer before he [allegedly] assaulted them at a department store in Bridge St," NSW Police said in a statement.

"Officers attended and during the man's arrest he was tasered."

The man is now at Tamworth Police Station where he is being interviewed.

The Northern Daily Leader reports the dispute related to toilet paper in the shop.

2.58pm

Not OK boomer: Older Australians told to rethink overseas travel plans

By Melissa Cunningham

Baby boomers are being urged to avoid travelling overseas as mounting evidence suggests they are among the most likely age group to experience severe illness if they fall ill with coronavirus.

Travelling overseas could be off the boomer bucket list, for a while at least.Credit:iStock

Global scientific literature is increasingly pointing to people aged 60 and over, especially those with underlying chronic illnesses such as heart or lung diseases, as being at the highest risk of critical illness and death from COVID-19.

Read the full story here

2.47pm

One baby, one adult test positive to virus

Two more South Australians have contracted the coronavirus, one of them being a baby, AAP reports.

On Wednesday, SA Health said a 40-year-old woman who travelled from Iran tested positive to the illness.

One day later, her baby also tested positive.

The second case is a 58-year-old man who arrived in SA from Taiwan on March 3.

2.43pm

Law firm Clayton Utz sends staff home

The wife of one of the employees at the law firm was the granddaughter of the 95-year-old woman who passed away after contracting COVID-19, an email has revealed.

"Your health and safety is our priority," it read.

"If you are in the Sydney office, we ask that you work from home for the remainder of the day and tomorrow (Friday) until we have a further update."

One staff member said she came back from lunch to read the email.

"The whole Sydney office was evacuated," she said.

"We all left and were told not to come back until further notice. I think our firm was a little panicked, once you realise its getting a bit close to home you're a bit 'oh my god'."

She said that staff weren't overly worried.

"We're a relatively healthy cohort of people, so I'm not hugely concerned.

2.37pm

University of Sydney plans quarantine accommodation for returning students

By Natassia Chrysanthos

The University of Sydney will use one of its Darlington student residences as temporary isolation accommodation for returning international students needing to self-isolate if the government travel ban is lifted.

The director of student support services, Mark Try, this week told students living in one student residence that they may soon need to relocate to alternative university accommodation, activating a seven day notice period.

If relocation were to proceed, the University of Sydney would provide a removalist, students would receive a 60 per cent rent discount, and the period would be about eight weeks.Credit:Bloomberg

"We are carefully planning for several scenarios, including a potential lift of the current travel restrictions," a university spokesperson said. The relocation measure would "allow for appropriate housing of any students that are booked into a University accommodation and need to self-isolate".

The self-contained studios at the chosen accommodation facility have been recommended by NSW Health as the most suitable for self-isolation.

If relocation were to proceed, the university would provide a removalist, students would receive a 60 per cent rent discount, and the period would be about eight weeks.

"We’re aware that moving would be inconvenient and possibly distressing for some, and we thank any affected students for their cooperation and understanding," the spokesperson said.

"These students would be offered a reduced fee for any period of relocation, and we’d manage the costs and arrangements associated with any move."

2.20pm

Update of what's happening with the coronavirus in south-east Asia

By James Massola

Indonesia has reported two cases of coronavirus from a total of 372 tests administered (there have been 356 negatives and 14 results are pending).

The national government is belatedly expanding the number of labs allowed to conduct tests to ten new sites across the country, up from a single government lab in Jakarta.

The government is preparing a stimulus package to support the local economy, including the hard-hit tourism sector in Bali. Shoppers have been buying goods in bulk in Jakarta, with hand sanitiser rapidly selling out, and other popular items including staple foods such as rice, noodles, oil and even traditional medicines.

Singapore has 33 active cases, with seven of those people considered to be in a critical condition and 26 more in hospital. Another 78 patients have been discharged.

Visitors who have travelled to Iran, northern Italy and South Korea in the last 14 days will now not be allowed to enter or transit through Singapore and travellers to Singapore who display fever or other symptoms will be required to undergo swab tests at checkpoints.

In Thailand, 43 people have been infected and 30 people have recovered. The government is preparing a stimulus package to support the local economy.

People been arrested for spreading fake news online about the virus and in separate cases, arrests have been made of people selling masks at inflated prices, and which have been used. Noodles, rice, tinned fish and drinking water are flying off the shelves in supermarkets.

Malaysia has reported 50 positive cases, including 14 new cases on Wednesday and seven on Tuesday. These new cases came after several days in which no new cases were reported.

There have been 1933 negative tests so far and the results for 138 tests are still pending.

The Philippines has three confirmed positive cases of the virus, while 579 people have tested negative and 32 tests results are pending.

Myanmar's Health Ministry reports it has zero confirmed cases, with two people "suspected" of having the disease and the lab test results of seven people pending and 49 people having tested negative.

The Sydney Morning Herald