Australian authorities contact patients after doctor tests positive of coronavirus

Australian health authorities on March 7 reportedly said they had closed a clinic and were contacting around 70 patients of a doctor who has been diagnosed with coronavirus after recently returning from the United States. Australia has reported 64 cases of infection and two deaths till now. 

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Caught infection in the US

The Melbourne based general practitioner became sick with a runny nose on an internal flight from Denver to San Fransisco before flying to Melbourne on February 29, Victoria State Health Minister Jenny Mikakos told international media reporters. The doctor reportedly saw 70 patients between March 2 and March 6. Mikakos said that the doctor who travelled in the United Airlines flight 0060 became infected with the virus in the US. According to reports, the clinic has been closed until further notice. Mikakos said that all the 70 patients have been contacted and people on the flight will be contacted as soon as the manifest is available. 

$1 Billion to battle coronavirus

This comes as Prime Minister Scott Morrison reportedly announced on March 6 that the country will spend one billion dollars to fight the spread of the novel coronavirus. Morrison said the federal government will go 50-50 with the states to meet the public health cost of the coronavirus treatment. In an official statement on Friday, Morrison said 1 billion Australian dollars will be immediately available with more funds to be released from the Federal Government coffers as necessary. Morrison said measures to respond to the outbreak would cost as much as 1 billion Australian dollars and that it would be spread between federal, state and the territory governments.

US faces a surge in numbers

Meanwhile, New York governor Andrew Cuomo reportedly said on March 7 that the number of coronavirus cases in the state has jumped to 44 in the last 48 hours pushing the national wide toll in the US to 335. Cuomo reportedly said that the number will continue to grow up. Cuomo used Twitter to revise the state’s case count from 33 released earlier Friday to 44.  According to the reports, the state reported 11 cases on Wednesday evening, 22 on Thursday, 33 Friday afternoon and 44 Friday evening which is a fourfold increase within just 48 hours.

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