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Man dies from coronavirus in Queensland

An 80-year-old man has died from coronavirus in Queensland overnight.

The Australian national returned to the state last month from the Philippines via Papua New Guinea, Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young announced on Tuesday morning.

He was transferred to hospital on March 25 from quarantine after arriving on March 20.

"This is of course very sad news for his family and his friends," Dr Young told reporters.

An image of Dr Jeannette Young, Queensland's chief health officer.
Dr Jeannette Young confirmed the death on Tuesday morning. Source: ABC News

Health minister Yvette D'Ath said it was "another reminder that this is a deadly virus".

His death is the state's seventh from Covid-19.

It comes after a 77-year-old man from Papua New Guinea died on April 5 in Queensland.

While his death was not counted in Queensland's official death toll, it was the first Covid-19 death to occur in the state in nearly 12 months.

Dr Young said the latest fatality is believed to have contracted the virus in the Philippines and not Papua New Guinea.

However soaring infections in PNG and its struggling health system has alarmed the Queensland and federal governments.

A recent sample of Covid-19 tests from the nation performed by Queensland Health returned 50 per cent positive results.

There have been 910 Covid-19 deaths across Australia since the pandemic began.

Dr Young urged people to continue to come forward for testing as she said it is impossible to tell when the virus might leak back into the community.

At the end of March, Brisbane went into a three-day lockdown as two separate community clusters, linked to hospital leaks, emerged.

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