Government BANS foreigners coming to Australia from Iran after beautician returned from the country and potentially infected dozens of people
- Government has banned people travelling from Iran from coming to Australia
- Those who have returned from the country should self-quarantine for 14 days
- Ban follows a woman who returned from Iran and was diagnosed with COVID-19
- The woman returned to the Gold Coast from Iran and is now in isolation
- She worked at Hair Plus in the Australia Fair shopping centre and fell ill at work
- It is thought she may have exposed up to 40 of her customers to the infection
- Confirmed case means there are now 25 people with coronavirus in Australia
- Queensland will have an epidemic, according to the state's chief medical officer
The Federal Government has announced a travel ban on foreigners coming to Australia from Iran.
The travel ban comes after a Gold Coast beautician who had just arrived from the middle eastern country was diagnosed with COVID-19.
It emerged on Saturday that she could have infected up to 40 people while giving them facials.
The woman, 63, works at Hair Plus salon, in the Australia Fair shopping centre in Southport and fell ill at work on Thursday.
She is currently 'in isolation' at Gold Coast University Hospital, according to the state's health department.
Queensland's chief medical officer Dr Jeannette Young said the woman did facials on up to 40 clients, with each one lasting around 15 minutes.
She warned that 'we will be seeing an epidemic here in Queensland eventually'.
Health authorities are now desperately racing to track down the infected woman's customers to urge them to get tested.
A 63-year-old woman diagnosed with coronavirus after returning from Iran gave facials to 40 clients at Hair Plus salon in Australia Fair Shopping Centre (pictured) on Thursday
Iranian women wear protective masks to prevent contracting coronavirus, as they walk in the street in Tehran, Iran February 25, 2020
Coronavirus has killed more than 2,800 people globally and can cause severe lung damage and trigger multiple organ failure
'She's a highly intelligent, very sensible lady, so as soon as she had her first symptom she spoke to her manager and she went home,' Dr Young told reporters in Brisbane on Saturday.
'Then she went to Gold Coast University Hospital and got tested.'
Dr Young urged anyone who attended the Hair Plus salon at Australia Fair in Southport from 11am on Thursday to come forward.
'She saw a number of clients each for brief interactions, so we believe the risk is incredibly low,' she said.
Dr Young said there was no need for anyone who was at the shopping centre at the same time, to be concerned.
But she said the number of countries that have contracted the coronavirus is increasing each day.
'So it's very hard for individuals to work out which country is at risk,' she said.
'It's really a message now, if you have been overseas, you come back to Queensland, you feel unwell with any symptoms, that you go and get advice.'
Speaking to the ABC, Dr Young warned that Queensland was heading for an epidemic.
'We know that we will be seeing a pandemic result through the world — it's not been declared yet,' she said.
'But we know we will be seeing an epidemic here in Queensland eventually.'
Health minister Steven Miles reassured Queenslanders the COVID-19 virus remained contained across the state, despite the latest development.
Queensland's chief medical officer Dr Jeannette Young warned that Queensland was heading for an epidemic and urged Hair Plus customers to be examined for coronavirus
Two women jog with face masks on as others walk while enjoying their weekend afternoon at Pardisan Park in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Feb. 28, 2020 amid a COVID-19 alert in the country
Under the conditions of the travel ban foreign nationals wanting to come to Australia from Iran will be required to spend a fortnight in a third country before being allowed into Australia.
Australians citizens who are returning from Iran will have to isolate themselves for two weeks after they return.
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said there is likely a large number of undetected coronavirus cases in Iran.
Earlier this month the government issued a travel ban for foreign nationals wanting to travel to Australia from mainland China to spend two weeks in a third country.
That travel ban has been extended three times.
The 63-year-old beautician who return to the Gold Coast from Iran is currently 'in isolation' at Gold Coast University Hospital, according to the state's health department
A 79-year-old west Australian woman has also recently tested positive for coronavirus after being evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan, taking the overall number of infected Australians to 25.
Of the reported cases in Australia all are either stable or recovered.
According to the Australian health department there are 84,117 cases world wide and 2,872 reported deaths.
'The continuing increase in the number of cases and number of affected countries over the last few days are clearly of concern,' WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesushe said in Geneva.
He said that 24 COVID-19 cases have now been exported from Italy - the worst-hit country in Europe - to 14 countries.
Also 97 cases have been exported from Iran to 11 countries.
As of Saturday, China, the epicentre of the outbreak, has the most cases at 79,000, while there are 3,000 reported cases in South Korea, 1,000 in Japan, and 900 in Italy.
Iran has 388 reported cases of COVID-19 and 34 reported deaths.
The World Health Organization is dispatching a team to Iran which is due to arrive on Sunday or Monday.
The UN health agency had previously labelled the global risk as 'high' but stopped short of calling it a pandemic.
Tehran resident Leila Tayyeb, center, with her husband wearing mask and gloves as a woman walks past, in downtown Tehran, Iran, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020
Health minister Steven Miles reassured Queenslanders the COVID-19 virus remained contained across the state, despite the latest development
The Australian government, however, is already putting in place plans to tackle a pandemic.
In particular, it is looking at how aged care facilities could be locked down in the case of a coronavirus outbreak.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says while some countries such as Japan are looking at closing schools, there is no need to do that in Australia based on current medical advice.
However, the virus known as COVID-19 affects the elderly more.
'The bigger impact would be in things like aged care facilities, the ability to lock those down, and to have the right care and support to those who are working in those places,' Mr Morrison said on Friday.
Travellers at Brisbane International Airport on January 29 (pictured)
Health ministers who met in Melbourne on Friday agreed the Commonwealth would take the lead on an aged care advanced planning process.
'Those who are elderly or those who have difficulties with their immune system are most at risk and that is why they are absolute top priority,' federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said.
Aged care providers received a letter this week from Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy outlining the need for them to have emergency plans in place.
'While the number of cases of COVID-19 is currently small in Australia, it is possible that this situation could change and services need to plan and be prepared for this,' he wrote.
Federal opposition frontbencher Jason Clare said the government is doing the right thing even though the WHO has yet to declare a pandemic.
'They have followed the advice of the chief medical officer ... they have followed the advice of the experts,' Mr Clare told ABC television on Saturday.
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