Australia records 1st death, 1 new case of COVID-19

SYDNEY - A 78-year-old man died in a hospital in Perth of West Australia overnight, recorded as the first death case of COVID-19 in the country.

The man and his wife were evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan. They had been transferred to hospital in West Australia after tested positive to the virus. His wife remained in stable condition in hospital.

Meanwhile, the health department in the State of New South Wales confirmed the fifth case of COVID-19 in the state, making the total number of confirmed cases in Australia to 26.

A man in his 40s who recently returned from a trip to Iran was being treated at the Westmead Hospital in western Sydney after experiencing mild symptoms, local media said.

The man is the second case related to Iran after a 63-year-old woman diagnosed positive in the State of Queensland after a trip to Iran.

Another man in his 50s in the State of New South Wales was also under investigation for possible infection.

According to the latest information from the National Health Department, 15 of all confirmed cases are reported to have recovered.