MANILA, Philippines – A woman in her sixties who allegedly flew from the Philippines tested positive for the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) upon arrival in Australia, the New South Wales (NSW) government said.
According to a statement posted on the official website of the NSW government, the woman, whose nationality was withheld, arrived in Sydney, Australia last Tuesday from a trip in the Philippines.
“A confirmed case, woman in her 60s who arrived back in Australia on March 3, is believed to have returned from the Philippines,” NSW said on Wednesday.
NSW’s state authorities said that they are tracking other people who flew with the woman.
“Her travel details are being obtained and will be disclosed if she posed a risk to any other passengers on her flight,” they said.
The woman allegedly from the Philippines is among the six additional COVID-19 cases, bringing the total up to 22.
The Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) officials have yet to confirm the NSW government’s announcement. As of now, the country remains to have recorded only three COVID-19 cases, one of which had died, one recovered, and another had left the Philippines.
Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) commended the Philippine government for containing the disease. However, people on social media have doubted whether the government’s report is accurate, as the virus, formerly known as the 2019 Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) may have gone undetected.
As of now, there are over 95,000 COVID-19 cases recorded worldwide and at least 3,300 deaths. Most of the cases came from Hubei province in China, believed to be the origin of the virus, with 80,409 infected individuals and 3,012 casualties.