Australia has confirmed more cases of coronavirus, including the first in Tasmania which, like other recent cases, is a person who travelled through Iran.

Experts have warned that new cases here are likely "inevitable".

The Federal Government's travel advisory to Italy has been increased and the chief medical officer has defended quarantine measures taken around the Diamond Princess cruise ship in the wake of the first COVID-19 death in Australia.

This article is no longer being updated. For the latest coronavirus news and updates follow this story.

Key moments so far

Adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader dies

Iranian state radio says a member of a council that advises Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has died after falling ill from the new coronavirus.

The report on Monday said Expediency Council member Mohammad Mirmohammadi had died. He was 71.

The council advises Ayatollah Khamenei, as well as settles disputes between the supreme leader and parliament.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, one of his adviser's has died due to coronavirus. ( Supplied: leader.ir )

His death comes as other top officials have contracted the virus in Iran, which has the highest death toll in the world after China, the epicentre of the outbreak.

Those sick include Vice-President Masoumeh Ebtekar, better known as "Sister Mary", the English-speaking spokeswoman for the students who seized the US Embassy in Tehran in 1979 and sparked the 444-day hostage crisis, state media reported.

Also sick is Iraj Harirchi, the head of an Iranian government task force on the coronavirus who tried to downplay the virus before falling ill.



South Korean cases rise again, second US death, Delhi reports cases

South Korea reported 123 new coronavirus cases, taking the country's total infections to 4,335, the Yonhap news agency said, citing health authorities.

The updated numbers added to the 476 recorded earlier by the Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

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That news comes as Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis announced no flights from South Korea or northern Italy would be allowed to land in the country.

In the United States, a second death has been recorded and like the first, it came in Washington state.

In India, cases of coronavirus have been reported in the capital of Delhi.

WHO says cost will be hundreds of millions

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has released $US15 million ($23 million) to help fund global efforts to contain COVID-19, but says the full cost of the cause will be in the hundreds of millions.

The announcement came as the WHO upgraded the global risk of the coronavirus outbreak to "very high" — its top level of risk assessment. The WHO has said there is still a chance of containing the virus if its chain of transmission is broken.

The UN funding has been released to the WHO and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). It will fund essential activities including monitoring the spread of the virus, investigating cases, and the operation of national laboratories.

The WHO has called for $US675 million to fund the fight against coronavirus. There is a window of opportunity to contain the spread of the virus if countries take robust measures to detect cases early, isolate and care for patients, and trace contacts.

Emergency relief coordinator and under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs Mark Lowcock said: "We do not yet see evidence that the virus is spreading freely. As long as that's the case, we still have a chance of containing it."

More Australian cases 'inevitable'

Peter Collignon, an infectious diseases physician & microbiologist at Canberra Hospital, says more coronavirus cases in Australia are "inevitable".

Professor Collignon was speaking on ABC News after it was revealed the nation had its first person-to-person transmission of the virus and said that while the virus is less infectious than he would have thought, there likely will be more cases.

"If you look at the data coming from China, this is less infectious than I would have expected," Professor Collignon said.

"It appears that about 2 per cent of people that have had close contact [with infected people] may acquire the virus.

"It's probably less than the transmission rate from an infection like influenza."

However, he said that he agreed with earlier comments from health authorities that more cases of the virus would occur in Australia, after several new cases were reported on Monday.

"I think it is inevitable that we will see more cases given what has happened all over the world but I don't think it is inevitable that we will see widespread uncontained cases through the community," he said.

Indonesia confirms first cases

Indonesian President Joko Widodo confirmed the nation's first cases of coronavirus: a 64-year-old mother and her 31-year-old daughter from West Java who had been in contact with a Japanese citizen who later tested positive for the virus.

He said Indonesian authorities tracked down and tested the two women after being notified of the Japanese citizen's positive test result on February 27.

Indonesia's Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto confirmed the two women were being treated at Jakarta's Sulianti Saroso Infectious Diseases Hospital.

Mr Widodo sought to allay fears that the world's fourth-most-populous country was lagging behind other countries in being able to prepare for and identify coronavirus cases.

"We have prepared over 100 hospitals with isolation rooms with good isolation standards. We also have equipment that meets international standards," he said.

First person-to-person transmission in Australia

The first person-to-person transmission of coronavirus in Australia has been confirmed.

It's believed to have been transmitted from a patient to a doctor in New South Wales.

New South Wales currently has six confirmed cases, with two new cases reported over the weekend.

South Australia looks to expand powers to detain

South Australian health authorities will have expanded powers to detain and quarantine people who may have been exposed to the coronavirus under new laws being proposed by the State Government.

The proposed amendments would allow the chief public health officer (CPHO) to verbally order the detention of a person if they are considered to be at risk of spreading a disease such as coronavirus.

The new laws would make it easier for police to be called in, as well as security firms or court orders, to enforce detainment and quarantines.

South Australian Premier Steven Marshall has looked to enhance powers to detain potentially ill people. ( ABC News: Isabel Dayman )

"There is no need to be alarmed. Part of strengthening our state's protection is to make sure that our public health experts have the powers they need to protect South Australians," Premier Steven Marshall said.

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Tasmania has first case of COVID-19

A 40-year-old man has tested positive for coronavirus after travelling from Iran to Launceston, via Melbourne.

The man is currently being treated at the Launceston General Hospital.

It is Tasmania's first confirmed case of the virus.

Tasmanian Health Minister Sarah Courtney said the man had self-isolated before presenting at the LGH.

"I must reiterate, Tasmanians are at low risk," she said.

Tributes for Australian man who died

James Kwan passed away at Sir Charles Gardiner Hospital in Perth over the weekend. ( Supplied: Australian Tourism Export Council )

The first person to die of COVID-19 in Australia, James Kwan, has been described as a "pioneer" of Western Australia's tourism industry and a "true gentleman".

The 78-year-old man was a passenger on the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship, and died on Sunday morning at Sir Charles Gardiner Hospital in Perth.

His wife, who also has the virus, remains in the same hospital in a stable condition.

Mr Kwan founded specialist inbound travel agency Wel-Travel in 1988.

"He had a really innovative mind, very hardworking, but very pleasant man to work with as well. He's got a major legacy as a result of his work," said Australian Tourism Export Council managing director Peter Shelley.

Tributes have been paid to Mr Kwan on Facebook with members of his local golf club describing him as a "true gentleman" and a "wonderful person".

Expert answers common COVID-19 questions

Raina MacIntyre from UNSW has answered some common questions about COVID-19 in a new video from the Australian Academy of Science.

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To summarise Professor MacIntyre:

What is a pandemic? The word has a few definitions, but sustained transmission of the disease in two or more continents is probably the definition being used at the moment

The word has a few definitions, but sustained transmission of the disease in two or more continents is probably the definition being used at the moment How close are we to finding a vaccine? It used to take years, but this time it will probably take 12-18 months

It used to take years, but this time it will probably take 12-18 months How is COVID-19 transmitted? It's spread by respiratory droplets and contact with contaminated surfaces

It's spread by respiratory droplets and contact with contaminated surfaces How do I protect myself? Wash your hands frequently. Soap and water is enough, but antibacterial gel is OK if you don't have access to a sink. Stay home from work or school if you're sick.

Wash your hands frequently. Soap and water is enough, but antibacterial gel is OK if you don't have access to a sink. Stay home from work or school if you're sick. How is COVID-19 different from diseases like SARS? It's caused more deaths than SARS but only because it has infected many more people. COVID-19 has a lower fatality rate than SARS.

It's caused more deaths than SARS but only because it has infected many more people. COVID-19 has a lower fatality rate than SARS. How concerned should we be? It's reassuring that the numbers of infections are going down in China, but the world should be watching with concern. Epidemics are taking off in other countries, and all countries need to be quick to respond.

Murphy says cruise ship quarantine was 'exemplary', despite death

Chief medical officer Brendan Murphy has defended the quarantine decisions made in the case of the Diamond Princess cruise ship in the wake of the death of Perth man James Kwan, a passenger on the ship who died of COVID-19 on Monday.

"This [is an] unfortunate death … I think our response with the Diamond Princess was exemplary," Dr Murphy said.

"We brought these people home, we have quarantined them and a number of them have developed the disease, whereas they may have been led into the community and infected people on planes.

"We have protected the Australian community."

Travel advisory changes

The Federal Government has increased the travel advisory for Italy, Health Minister Greg Hunt has announced.

It has been raised to level two — exercise a high degree of awareness — for the whole country and level three — reconsider the need to travel — for selected towns in the north.

Chief medical officer Brendan Murphy said it was no longer possible to prevent new cases coming to Australia, but travel bans and advisories helped slow things down.

"Travel bans are, at this stage ... a way of delaying the burden of new cases coming in," Dr Murphy said.

Did you travel to Melbourne on this flight?

Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos urged anyone who was on the Malindo Air OD 177 flight, which landed in Melbourne at 6:04am on Friday, 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.

"It's really only very close contact for a relatively prolonged period of time that puts someone at risk and it was at the very beginning of this case's illness and so I think it's unlikely that many people on that flight will be at risk," Dr Sutton said.

He said Victorian health authorities were still waiting for a flight manifest from the Commonwealth, which he understood they were trying to provide "as urgently as they can".

The woman, who is in her 30s, is now recovering in isolation at her home.

How long does coronavirus last on surfaces?

It's a question a lot of people have been asking, and science is starting to give us a clearer picture of the answer.

One study that brought together data from 22 previous studies on coronaviruses (but not this new 2019 strain) found human coronaviruses could theoretically last on surfaces at room temperature for up to nine days.

That sounds like a long time, but a lot of factors come into play, tweeted Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at Columbia university in the US.

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Some of these factors include:

The type of surface : Viruses survive on shiny, hard surfaces longer than soft ones

The : Viruses survive on shiny, hard surfaces longer than soft ones Whether it's exposed to sunlight : UV radiation kills viruses

Whether it's exposed to : UV radiation kills viruses Temperature and humidity: Viruses last longer at lower temperatures and lower humidity

But the best way to avoid getting infected from touching a contaminated surface? Keep your hands clean and don't touch your face. Here's a reminder on how to wash your hands effectively.

Kids seem safe from COVID-19 so far

One of the surprising features about the new coronavirus is how few children seem to have been identified as infected, chief medical officer Dr Brendan Murphy says.

So far, no children have been reported as having serious complications, which may have to do with how their immune systems respond.

A study of more than 72,000 people with COVID-19 from China has found most people only developed mild symptoms, and those with mild symptoms did not die.

The fatalities occurred in people who already had serious health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure or cancer.

No deaths occurred in children, and those most at risk of dying were aged over 70, with an even greater death rate in people aged over 80.

China's economy contracts faster than during GFC

The first snapshot of the Chinese economy's state since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak has come out, and it's not pretty.

Factory activity in China contracted at the fastest pace ever in February, even worse than during the global financial crisis.

China's official Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) fell to a record low of 35.7 in February from 50.0 in January, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Saturday, well below the 50-point mark that separates monthly growth from contraction.

The data foreshadows that the economic fallout from the virus will likely extend to the whole first quarter of 2020 since the disease outbreak has caused widespread transport curbs and required tough public health measures that have paralysed economic activity.

Secret medical stockpile

Health Minister Greg Hunt touring one of the National Medical Stockpile warehouses in January. ( Twitter )

Did you know Australia has secret stockpiles of medical equipment just in case there's a pandemic or other kind of medical emergency?

In multiple secret locations across Australia, about $100 million worth of medical supplies — including 20 million masks, antibiotics, vaccines and equipment such as basic hand sanitisers — is sitting on huge pallets wrapped in plastic, ready to be deployed.

It has been gradually accumulated over more than a decade in case of a bioterrorist attack, medical emergencies or pandemics.

It's known as the National Medical Stockpile (NMS).

If coronavirus is declared a pandemic, as the Prime Minster says it is almost certain to be, the stockpile is set to have its first major use in more than a decade as it becomes a critical element to the response.





WHO coronavirus scam alert

The World Health Organisation has warned that online scammers are using COVID-19 to steal money and information, including by disguising themselves as the WHO.

As with many online scams, a bit of careful reading can help you avoid being taken in. Here are some of the WHO's tips for avoiding scams.

Verify the sender by checking their email address

by checking their email address Check the link before you click

before you click Be careful when providing personal information : Always consider why someone wants your information and if it is appropriate

Be careful when providing : Always consider why someone wants your information and if it is appropriate Do not rush or feel under pressure: Cybercriminals use emergencies such as 2019-nCov to get people to make decisions quickly

or feel under pressure: Cybercriminals use emergencies such as 2019-nCov to get people to make decisions quickly If you gave sensitive information, don't panic : If you realise you've given out information like usernames or passwords, change these immediately

If you gave sensitive information, : If you realise you've given out information like usernames or passwords, change these immediately If you see a scam, report it

Updated Australian figures

The Health Department has updated its figures on COVID-19 in Australia. As of 6:30pm AEDT, there are 33 confirmed cases in Australia:

Nine in Queensland

Nine in Queensland Nine in New South Wales

Nine in New South Wales Nine in Victoria

Nine in Victoria Three in South Australia

Three in South Australia Two in Western Australia

Two in Western Australia One in Tasmania

15 of these cases are reported to have recovered. The remaining cases are in a stable condition.

One person has died, a 78-year-old man from Perth.

South Korean religious sect leader facing gross negligence charges

The leader of a religious sect in South Korea is facing charges of gross negligence over some of the country's coronavirus deaths.

The city government of the capital Seoul has asked prosecutors to charge Lee Man-hee, the founder of the Shincheonji Church, and 11 others.

The Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Daegu is being blamed for a major outbreak of coronavirus in South Korea. ( Reuters: Kim Hong-Ji )

They are accused of hiding the names of some members as officials tried to track patients before the virus spread.

South Korea is battling the worst coronavirus outbreak outside China, with over 3,500 cases confirmed and 20 deaths so far.

Authorities seek flight passengers

Authorities are contacting passengers on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Sydney last week who were sitting near a woman later confirmed as the sixth case of coronavirus in NSW.

NSW Health said the woman in her 50s flew from Iran to Sydney via Qatar on February 23.

Her symptoms began within 24 hours of landing, but the woman did not visit hospital until six days later.

Anyone who was on Qatar Airways Flight QR908 has been urged to isolate themselves and seek an immediate health assessment if they develop symptoms.

Recent arrivals from Iran into Australia are diagnosed

Three people who recently returned from Iran have been confirmed as having COVID-19.

A man in his 40s and a woman in her 50s who travelled on separate flights became New South Wales's fifth and sixth cases, while a Victorian woman in her 30s is recovering in isolation at her home.

Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said the woman's close contacts were being followed up, with one already in home isolation for 14 days.

"We will be contacting all passengers on that flight [to advise them] of the fact that there was someone who was actually unwell on that flight, to make sure they can receive advice," Ms Mikakos said.

Iran has seen a spike in infections and on Saturday the Federal Government imposed a travel ban on foreign nationals travelling from Iran to Australia.

Louvre remains closed after staff walkout

Workers at the world's most visited museum, the Louvre, have staged a walkout after a staff meeting about the coronavirus outbreak.

Long lines of disgruntled tourists snaked outside the museum on Sunday morning as management held a staff meeting about the outbreak to reassure workers that the risk was contained.

But workers refused to return to work after the meeting.

"Despite talks with management and the staff doctor, the Louvre Museum was unable to open in the absence of sufficient personnel," a spokeswoman for the museum said.

She added that there would be another meeting on Monday, but it was unclear when the Louvre would reopen.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 40 seconds 40 s The AMA president says masks will not prevent people catching coronavirus.

Iran death toll jumps again

Iran's death toll has jumped to 66 and the number of those infected has reached 1,501, Iran's Deputy Health Minister Alireza Raisi said in an announcement on state TV.

Iran has had the highest number of deaths from coronavirus outside of China, where the outbreak originated, and a handful of countries in the region have reported infections among people who travelled to the Islamic Republic.

Trying to prevent panic, the Government has not locked down Qom, a holy Shi'ite Muslim city identified by authorities as the centre of contagion, but has imposed broad restrictions such as limitations on who is allowed in and out of the city.

Several countries including Thailand, the US, and Australia reported their first coronavirus-related deaths over the weekend. ( AP: Kin Cheung )

Some religious hardliners, including clerics, have dismissed the idea of closing the holy site to prevent the spread of the virus, arguing that the shrine in Qom is "a place for healing".

Videos on social media showed some people licking the doors and the burial mound inside the Masumeh shrine, defying advice by the Health Ministry to avoid touching or kissing any surfaces in the shrine, a common practice for pilgrims.

Thailand and US record first coronavirus deaths

The United States reported its first death on Saturday — a man in his 50s in Washington state who had underlying health problems but had not travelled to any affected areas — bringing US cases to at least 74.

A 35-year-old Thai man who also had dengue fever has died from a coronavirus infection, leading to Thailand's first death from the COVID-19 disease.

Thailand has recorded 42 coronavirus cases since January, with 30 of those recovering and 11 still being treated in hospitals, according to the department.

A child in Thailand wears a mask in a bid to prevent catching coronavirus. ( Reuters: Soe Zeya Tun )

MotoGP season-opener cancelled

Organisers have cancelled next weekend's scheduled season-opening MotoGP race in Doha, Qatar.

"As of today, all passengers arriving at Doha on direct flights from Italy, or having been in Italy in the past two weeks, will be taken straight to quarantine for a minimum of 14 days," organisers said in a statement.

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Three of the 11 teams in the MotoGP championship — Aprilia Racing Team Gresini, Ducati Team and Pramac Racing — are based in Italy.

The Moto2 and Moto3 classes will take place as the teams and riders were already in Qatar for the three-day official test at the Losail International Circuit track earlier this week.

The next scheduled events are on March 22 in Thailand and April 5 in Argentina.

Japan sports play without spectators

The Japan Sumo Association has decided to hold the March 8-22 spring grand sumo tournament in Osaka with no spectators in another move aimed at halting the outbreak, national broadcaster NHK reports.

The decision by sumo officials follows a similar move made by Japanese professional baseball, which is holding its pre-season exhibition games at empty stadiums.

Last year's sumo tournament was sold out, but this year no spectators will be hosted due to the coronavirus outbreak. ( (Yoshitaka Sugawara/Kyodo News via AP, File Photo )

Japan has taken extensive measures to curb the spread of the virus with the Tokyo 2020 Olympics set to open on July 24.

The Japan Race Association also took the step of holding its horse races without spectators.

Sunday's Tokyo Marathon, one of the world's largest races with an estimated 38,000 runners, was restricted to elite runners due to the outbreak.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 46 minutes 25 seconds 46 m Four Corners charts how the outbreak occurred and investigates whether a cover up by Chinese authorities allowed the virus to spread.

Saudi Arabia prepares hospitals for outbreak

Despite no recorded cases, Saudi Arabia has prepared 25 hospitals to handle any coronavirus cases that might be detected in the kingdom as part of precautionary measures that include closing its borders to foreign "umrah" pilgrims.

Health ministry spokesman Mohammed Abdelali told a news conference that 2,200 hospital beds were dedicated for quarantine cases.

Saudi Arabia, which has Islam's two holiest sites, announced on Thursday a ban on foreigners coming to the kingdom for the umrah pilgrimage, which can take place at any time of the year, and to tourists from at least 25 countries where the virus has been found.

Authorities have called on Iranians to avoid public places and to stay at home amid the latest spike in coronavirus infections. ( AP: Vahid Salemi )

Global figures at a glance

These are the latest figures as of Monday evening, with Italy and South Korea both recording a large jump in cases.