Australian Home Affairs Minister Tests Positive For Covid-19, Has Been Hospitalised
Recently, acclaimed actor Tom Hanks, who was filming in Australia, was confirmed with Covid-19.
On Friday (13 Mar), another high-profile figure Down Under was diagnosed with the virus — Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton.
He has been admitted to a hospital in Australia, and joins the wife of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the list of infected people linked to the government of a Commonwealth country.
Woke up in the morning with symptoms
In a statement released by his office that was tweeted by Mr Dutton, the minister explained that “he woke up with a temperature and sore throat” earlier on Friday morning.
Thankfully, he instantly got in touch with the Queensland Department of Health and went through Covid-19 tests.
Resting in hospital
The minister received the bad news quickly, on the same day. He subsequently was admitted into hospital as per the policy of Queensland state.
Assuring citizens that he “feels fine”, Mr Dutton promised to update people on his condition.
Wife of Canada’s Prime Minister gets Covid-19
Right on the other side of the world, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is now under quarantine for two weeks, after his wife also tested positive for the virus, reported The New York Times (NYT).
On Thursday (12 Mar), it was confirmed that Mrs Sophie Trudeau had contracted the disease after falling sick upon her return from the United Kingdom.
She started feeling unwell on Wednesday (11 Mar) and decided to isolate herself. Her husband also followed suit.
According to the NYT, Mr Trudeau has not shown any sign of the illness, and will not be tested for now.
14-day isolation for the PM
However, as a precautionary measure, the Prime Minister will be isolating himself for the next 14 days.
Despite being absent from the House of Commons on Wednesday, Mr Trudeau was doing work via phone and computer. He will also attend a planned meeting with provincial leaders on Friday via conference call instead of in person.
Manageable numbers in Canada & Australia
Despite these well-known figures testing positive, Covid-19 cases in both countries are still relatively low.
Canada only has 138 cases, while Australia has 156.
However, this does not mean that they can let their guard down, as just one mistake can lead to a spread of epic proportions that countries like Italy and Iran are experiencing now.
Like Mr Dutton and Mr Trudeau do self-isolate if you or your family members have been exposed to the virus.
We wish these government leaders a speedy road to recovery.
Featured image adapted from NTD.
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