Australia: COVID-19 death toll rises to 99

By Recep Sakar

MELBOURNE (AA) - The number of deaths in Australia from the novel coronavirus rose to 99 on Sunday with an additional fatality in New South Wales state.

Health authorities said a 60-year-old man died at a hospital in the state’s capital, Sydney, becoming the latest victim.

The number of people who have died from COVID-19 in New South Wales now stands at 48

Australia has conducted more than 760,000 coronavirus tests and 6,367 patients have recovered from the virus.

Meanwhile, 12 branches of the fast food chain McDonald’s were temporarily closed after a driver who transported materials to branches in Melbourne tested positive for the coronavirus.

After originating in Wuhan, China last December, COVID-19 has spread to at least 188 countries and regions, with Europe and the US currently the worst hit.

The pandemic has killed more than 315,000 people worldwide, with more than 4.7 million confirmed cases, while recoveries have surpassed 1.7 million, according to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University of the US.