Victoria’s Department of Health and Human Services has confirmed the first Australian case of the 2019 novel coronavirus.
The man in his 50s, a visitor from China, is in a stable condition with the respiratory illness. He was confirmed as positive at 2.15am today following a series of tests.
The patient is being treated in an isolation room at Monash Medical Centre Clayton in accordance with recommended infection control procedures.
He had been in the city of Wuhan, China in the two weeks prior to the onset of his illness.
Department of Health and Human Services public health experts have interviewed the patient and have determined that he arrived in Australia on the morning of January 19 from Wuhan to Melbourne via Guangzhou. The first leg was on CZ3706 and he came into Melbourne on China Southern Airlines flight CZ321.
He has spent his time since arrival with relatives at their home. Close contacts are being provided support and education and monitored closely for signs or symptoms of illness.
The Department is working closely with the Commonwealth Government and we have agreed that Victorian and Commonwealth officials will be stationed at Melbourne Airport to support and inform passengers arriving from China.
Passengers who were on the flight with the current patient will be contacted.
A hotline will be established to provide more information if anyone has questions.
Victorians and visitors returning from Wuhan City or other locations with cases have been advised to closely monitor their health.
Any people who develop symptoms of fever and breathing difficulty or cough within 14 days of travel to Wuhan City or other locations with confirmed cases should seek medical help immediately and advise of their travel history.
The Department has issued a Chief Health Officer’s alert to hospitals and GPs on novel coronavirus and provided advice about the symptoms. An updated alert will be issued later today.
Victoria has well-established systems to respond to ill travellers. Federal health authorities have said the risk of transmission in Australia from novel coronavirus remains low.
Background
Any people who have developed symptoms of fever and breathing difficulty or cough within 14 days of travel to Wuhan City or other locations with confirmed cases should seek medical help immediately.
Hands should be washed regularly with soap and water and respiratory and cough etiquette should be observed at all times. If you feel sick, avoid contact with others.
Before attending a GP or emergency department people should call ahead and mention their recent travel and symptoms.
GPs and emergency departments should ensure a travel history is taken for all patients presenting with symptoms of pneumonia, isolate and place a respiratory mask on any travellers on arrival at the department or clinic.
Reviewed 23 November 2021
Health.vic
-
- Hospitals & health services
- Health Service Partnerships
- Public hospitals in Victoria
-
- Quality, safety and service improvement
- Planned surgery recovery and reform program
- My Health Record
- Public hospital accreditation in Victoria
- Credentialing for senior medical staff in Victoria
- Clinical risk management
- Preventing infections in health services
- Healthy choices
- Victorian Perinatal Data Collection
-
- Rural health
- Improving Access to Primary Care in Rural and Remote Areas Initiative
- Rural x-ray services
- Rural health regions and locations
- Rural and regional medical director role
- Victorian Patient Transport Assistance Scheme
- Rural and isolated practice registered nurses
- Urgent care in regional and rural Victoria
-
- Private health service establishments
- Private hospitals
- Day procedure centres
- Mobile health services
- Fees for private health service establishments in Victoria
- Design resources for private health service establishments
- Professional standards in private health service establishments
- Legislation updates for private health service establishments
- Complaints about private health service establishments
- Cosmetic procedures
- Guideline for providers of liposuction
- Private hospital funding agreement
-
- Primary & community health
- Local Public Health Units
- Integrated care
-
- Maternal and Child Health Service
- Nursery Equipment Program
- Maternal and Child Health Service Framework
- Maternal and Child Health Service resources
- Child Development Information System
- Early parenting centres
- Maternal Child and Health Reporting, Funding and Data
- Baby bundle
- Sleep and settling
- Maternal and Child Health Workforce professional development
- Aboriginal Maternal and Child Health
- Public Dental and Community Health Program funding model review
-
- Public health
-
- Cemeteries and crematoria
- Cemetery trust member appointments
- Cemetery search
- Cemeteries and crematoria complaints
- Cremations
- Exhumations
- Governance and finance
- Cemetery grants
- Interments and memorials
- Land and development
- Legislation governing Victorian cemeteries and crematoria
- Cemeteries and crematoria publications
- Repatriations
- Rights of interment
-
- Medicines and Poisons Regulation
- Patient Schedule 8 treatment permits
- Schedule 8 MDMA and Schedule 8 psilocybine
- Schedule 9 permits for clinical trials
- Documents and forms to print or download
- Legislation and Approvals
- Frequently Asked Questions - Medicines and Poisons Regulation
- Health practitioners
- Licences and permits to possess (& possibly supply) scheduled substances
- Medicinal cannabis
- Pharmacotherapy (opioid replacement therapy)
- Recent updates
- SafeScript
-
- Environmental health
- Improving childhood asthma management in Melbourne's inner west
- Climate and weather, and public health
- Environmental health in the community
- Environmental health in the home
- Environmental health professionals
- Face masks for environmental hazards
- Human health risk assessments
- Lead and human health
- Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)
- Pesticide use and pest control
-
- Immunisation
- Seasonal influenza vaccine
- Immunisation schedule and vaccine eligibility criteria
- Ordering vaccine
- Immunisers in Victoria
- Immunisation provider information
- Cold chain management
- Adverse events following immunisation reporting
- Vaccine error management
- Vaccination for infants and children
- Vaccination for adolescents
- Vaccination program for adults
- Vaccination for special-risk groups
- Immunisation resources order form
- Victorian coverage rates for Victoria
-
- Mental health
-
- About Victoria's mental health services
- Area-based services
- Statewide and specialist mental health services
- Mental Health Community Support Services
- Support and intervention services
- Language services - when to use them
- Access to mental health services across areas
- Transport for people in mental health services
-
- Alcohol & drugs
-
- Alcohol and other drug treatment services
- Overview of Victoria's alcohol and drug treatment system
- Pathways into alcohol and other drugs treatment
- Prevention and harm reduction
- Medically supervised injecting room
- Community-based AOD treatment services in Victoria
- Drug rehabilitation plan
- Hospital-based services
- Forensic services
- Pharmacotherapy treatment
- Services for Aboriginal people
- Services for young people
- Statewide and specialist services
- Compulsory treatment
- Family and peer support
-
- Alcohol and other drug service standards and guidelines
- Alcohol and other drug client charter and resources
- Alcohol and other drug treatment principles
- Service quality and accreditation
- Alcohol and other drug program guidelines
- Maintenance pharmacotherapy
- Drink and Drug Driving Behaviour Change Program
- Alcohol and Other Drug Residential Rehabilitation Facility Design Guidelines
- Specialist Family Violence Advisor capacity building program in mental health and alcohol and other drug services - Victoria
-
- Ageing & aged care
- My Aged Care assessment services
-
- Dementia-friendly environments
- Designing for people with dementia
- Maintaining personal identity
- Personal enjoyment
- Interior design
- Dining areas, kitchens and eating
- Bedrooms and privacy
- Bathrooms
- Gardens and outdoor spaces
- Assistive technology
- Staff education and support
- Strategies, checklists and tools
- References
-
- About us
- Our Strategic Plan 2023-27
-
- Our organisation
- Our secretary
- Leadership charter
- Our services
- Our vision and values
- Gifts, benefits and hospitality policy
- Information Asset Register
- Our ministers
-
- Health workforce
- Working in health
- Information sharing and MARAM
- Aboriginal healthcare workers
- Allied health workforce
- Education and training
- Enterprise agreements
- Worker health and wellbeing
- Our campaigns
Contact details
Graeme Walker Senior Media Officer