Workers in protective gear prepare to board the Diamond Princess cruise ship, operated by Carnival Corp, docked in Yokohama, Japan, Feb 7, 2020. (TORU HANAI / Bloomberg)

SEOUL/TEHRAN - A patient in Thailand who contracted the novel coronavirus infection has died, while a 78-year-old man with the virus died after returning to Australia from a cruise ship in Japan, marking the first fatalities in the two countries involving the outbreak.

In Iran the virus has killed 43 people out of 593 confirmed cases in the country as of Saturday.

Almost 3,000 people have died from the infection, mostly in China. Thailand has reported 42 cases of infection, with 30 of those discharged

The 35-year-old Thai retail worker had dengue fever and the new disease know as COVID-19, Suwannachai Wattanayingcharoenchai, director general of the Department of Disease Control, said in a briefing Sunday. The patient had been hospitalized for nearly a month and died on Feb 29 after multiple organ failure.

The health ministry is still looking into the role played by the coronavirus in the fatality, Suwannachai said. Tests for the coronavirus came back negative since Feb 16 but “the damage was already done to his body” from the earlier bout of infection by the new disease, said Tawee Chotpitayasunondh, adviser to the Department of Disease Control.

Almost 3,000 people have died from the infection, mostly in China. Thailand has reported 42 cases of infection, with 30 of those discharged.

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Australia’s first virus death

A 78-year-old man with coronavirus died in a Perth hospital, marking Australia’s first fatality, after returning from the Diamond Princess cruise ship off the coast of Japan last month.

The man was initially sent to the Howard Springs facility in northern Australia after becoming ill on the flight back from Japan and was then moved to the Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Perth where he died Sunday morning. His 79-year-old wife, who also tested positive for the virus, remains isolated in the hospital in a stable condition and there is no risk to the community, said Andrew Robertson, Western Australia’s chief health officer.

Elsewhere in the country, two new cases emerged in recent days in Sydney and the Gold Coast after a man and a woman returned from trips to Iran. Australia over the weekend banned incoming travel from Iran for non-nationals, and Health Minister Greg Hunt said he has asked the deputy chief medical officer, Paul Kelly, to consider the appropriate level of travel advice for Italy. Restrictions on travel from the Chinese mainland were extended last week.

“Right from the outset, we’ve made it clear that we will take strong action, but that Australia is not immune,” Hunt said in Melbourne on Sunday. There are now 27 confirmed coronavirus cases in Australia, he said.

The death comes just days after the Australian government activated an emergency plan to deal with the outbreak, when Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the risk of a global pandemic is “very much upon us.” The epidemic saw the US record its first fatality from the virus on Saturday and cases increased in France, Italy and South Korea.

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The total number of infections in South Korea's Daegu and North Gyeongsang province increased to 2,569 and 514 respectively

Iran records 43 deaths

Iran has adopted a series of measures to fight against the COVID-19, as the virus has killed 43 people out of 593 confirmed cases in the country as of Saturday.

Iranian medical officials announced on Saturday that they will ban the people suspicious of infection from moving out of the Qom city.

The deputy chief of Qom Medical University said that from Sunday their staff will monitor people's health condition at the exits of Qom with special equipment, and people diagnosed as suspicious of carrying the virus will be under quarantine.

In cities and provinces seriously hit by coronavirus, the educational centers have been shut down until the next notice.

Iran's parliament announced on Friday that it will stop working temporarily.

Meanwhile, Iranian officials have warned people to avoid attending gatherings and unnecessary public activities.

Iran's Friday prayer ceremony was cancelled on Feb 28 and sport events were held without spectators.

Besides, Tehran announced earlier that public transportation in the capital city would be sterilized to reduce the risks of infection.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday that the world should address the outbreak of the coronavirus as the illness has turned to be a global issue.

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"All countries will consequently have no choice other than to share their experience and resources to counter this issue," he added.

The Iranian president noted that "we look forward to expanding bilateral and regional medical cooperation with all countries in the region over the issue."