Man, 76, linked to the Barossa Valley coronavirus cluster dies in in hospital taking national death toll to 51
- The man had visited the same vineyard as an infected American tour group
- He died overnight in the Royal Adelaide Hospital, the third victim in SA
- Ten people in the 18-strong Barossa tour group were diagnosed with COVID-19
- They had visited a local vineyard during a two-week Australian holiday
- Anyone who visited the vineyard after March 14 are urged to seek testing
A man linked to the Barossa Valley coronavirus cluster has died in hospital, taking Australia's death toll from the virus to 51.
The South Australian man, 76, is the third person to die in the state, and is understood to have been in contact with an infected American tour group.
A cluster of COVID-19 patients has since broken out in the area, after the tour group visited a Barossa winery.
Last month, the state's chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier confirmed an investigation was underway after several cases were linked to Lyndoch Hill winery.
She urged anyone who had been to the winery since March 14 to self-isolate and seek testing.
Barossa (pictured), known for its wines and picturesque vineyards, has become the centre of a coronavirus cluster, after infected American tourists visited a local winery
There have now been 51 COVID-19 deaths in Australia, with 6,073 confirmed cases across the country
The man who died overnight is understood to have visited the same winery before dying in the Royal Adelaide Hospital on Wednesday night.
Premier Steven Marshall described the man’s death as 'extraordinarily sad news'.
'This is the first example in South Australia where it’s not overseas-acquired or interstate-acquired – it’s been acquired here in South Australia,' he told ABC Radio this morning.
He said the nature of the infection should prove to the public why strict restrictions are being put in place to limit people's contact with others.
'It really does massively underscore why we are putting these restrictions in place,' he added.
'This is a terrible, deadly insidious disease.
'It probably was from this group that came in and this is the problem, people just going about their ordinary lives, innocent activity and they’ve lost their life because of this disease.
'It really just says to all of us...we can’t take our foot off the brake.'
The 18-strong American tour group were isolated on March 21, after ten of them were found to have COVID-19.
The group was touring the Barossa Valley after arriving in the country from America around March 7.
On Wednesday morning, a 62-year-old woman from Adelaide also died from COVID-19.
She had been a passenger on the doomed Ruby Princess cruise ship, which has since been linked to around 600 coronavirus cases - including 86 in South Australia.
The state's first death was Fran Ferraro, 75, who died on Monday.
He recently attended a wedding in Melbourne where some guests had travelled from Italy.
Hospital staff test people at a dedicated COVID-19 testing clinic in the Barossa Valley on Tuesday (pictured), the centre of a coronavirus cluster
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