Australia

Simulator & Modeling for Covid-19 in Australia

To limit the spread of the virus, Australia’s Chief Medical Officer, Brendan Murphy, said biosecurity officials would begin screening passengers arriving on the three weekly flights to Sydney from Wuhan starting on 23 January. Passengers would also be given an information pamphlet and asked to present themselves if they had a fever or suspected they might have the disease.

Biosecurity officials began screening arrivals on the three weekly flights to Sydney from Wuhan starting on 23 January 2020. Passengers were given an information pamphlet and asked to present themselves if they had a fever or suspect they might have the disease.

On 25 January, the first confirmed case was announced in Victoria, a Chinese national in his 50s who had travelled from Guangzhou to Melbourne via China Southern Airlines flight CZ321 on 19 January. He received treatment at the Monash Medical Centre in Melbourne.

On 25 January, three patients were announced as testing positive in New South Wales (NSW). Meanwhile, six people in New South Wales were held under observation and confirmed to undergo hospital testing after having recently returned from Wuhan.

On 27 January, a fifth case was announced, the fourth in the state of New South Wales. The patient underwent treatment at Westmead Hospital in Sydney.

On 29 January, a 60-year-old Victorian resident was confirmed as the sixth patient in Australia, and the second in Victoria.

On 29 January, a patient tested positive as the first case in Queensland and the seventh in the country, a 44-year-old Chinese national from Wuhan was isolated at the Gold Coast University Hospital.

On 30 January, a Chinese national in Victoria was confirmed as the eighth case in the country. A ninth case was confirmed later in the day in Queensland, becoming the second case in the state.

On 31 January 2020, Australian Government announced foreign nationals coming from China will be forced to spend a fortnight in a third country before being allowed into Australia.

On 1 February, the 10th case of the virus was announced in Victoria.

On 2 February, two more cases were confirmed in South Australia, a 60-year-old male and a 60-year-old female travelling from Wuhan to visit family.

On 4 February, an 8-year-old male Chinese national was confirmed as the 13th case in Australia, the third case in Queensland. He was in the same travel group as the seventh and ninth cases.

On 5 February, a 37-year-old male Chinese national was confirmed as the 14th case in Australia, the fourth case in Queensland. He was in the same travel group as the seventh, ninth and 13th cases.

On 6 February, a 37-year-old female Chinese national was confirmed as the 15th case in Australia, the fifth case in Queensland. She was in the same travel group as the seventh, ninth, 13th and 14th cases.

As of 16 February, the country had a total of 15 confirmed cases. 8 of these cases had recovered.

At 26 February, the only new COVID-19 detections that had been found in Australia in the previous two weeks were eight cases of Australian passengers repatriated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship. At the time, there was no evidence of community transmission in Australia.

On 27 February, Australia’s Prime Minister announced the country was activating the Australian Health Sector Emergency Response Plan for Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), stating that the rapid spread of the virus outside of China had prompted the government to elevate it’s response.

On 28 February, a 63-year-old woman was the latest confirmed case of having COVID-19. She had recently returned to Australia from Iran and was isolated at the Gold Coast University Hospital. According to Queensland’s chief health officer, Dr Jeanette Young, the woman did everything perfectly. She was in good health when she flew into Australia, then to the Gold Coast on 24 February. She only began to display symptoms on 27 February. At that point, she spoke to her manager and went home, then went to Gold Coast University Hospital to undergo testing, where she was isolated.

On 29 February 2020, Australian Government announced foreign nationals coming from Iran will be forced to spend a fortnight in a third country before being allowed into Australia.

On 1 March 2020, a 78-year-old man who was a passenger of the Diamond Princess had become the first person to die of COVID-19 in Australia.
He was being treated at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Nedlands, Western Australia and died during the night. The victim was identified as Perth man James Kwan.

Later that day, NSW Health confirmed the fifth case of COVID-19 in the state, becoming the 27th case in Australia. A man in his 40s who recently returned from a trip to Iran was experiencing mild symptoms. Another man in his 50s in NSW was also under investigation for possible infection. A woman in her 50s who recently returned from Iran became the sixth confirmed case of COVID-19 in NSW, the 28th case in Australia. She was on a separate flight to the man in his 40s. The man returned from Iran on 22 February, developed symptoms two days later, was tested on 28 February and his diagnosis was confirmed a day later. Meanwhile, the woman returned on 23 February and was tested on 29 February, with NSW Health confirming the diagnosis the following day, 1 March. She flew in on Qatar Airways flight QR908, which was scheduled to touch down in Sydney on Sunday 23 February 2020 at 6:45PM.

On the same day, a Victorian who returned from Tehran in Iran was confirmed as the state’s ninth case of COVID-19 and the 29th case in Australia. The woman in her 30s was recovering in isolation at her home. She became unwell on 27 February while returning to Melbourne from Tehran via Kuala Lumpur and Bali. She traveled on Malindo Air flight number OD177, which landed in Melbourne at 6:04AM on 28 February. >Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos urged anyone who was on the same flight to call the Victorian Department of Health’s COVID-19 helpline on 1800 675 398. The state’s chief health officer, Brett Sutton, said passengers who were sitting in the same row or the two rows either side of a woman confirmed to have COVID-19 would be asked to undergo quarantine.