First Australian, 78, Dies of Coronavirus

Two buses arrive next to the Diamond Princess cruise ship, with people quarantined onboard due to fears of the new coronavirus, at the Daikaku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama port in Japan, on Feb. 16, 2020. (Behrouz Mehri/AFP via Getty Images)

A 78-year-old Perth man has died from the coronavirus, becoming the first person in Australia to die from the disease.

Western Australia’s Chief Health Officer Dr. Andrew Robertson on Sunday confirmed the man, who has not been named, died at Perth’s Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in the early hours of the morning.

The man and his wife contracted COVID-19 onboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship.

His wife is stable and remains in hospital.