Coronavirus: Two women on same flight as Peter Dutton contract virus

A woman who shared a flight with Peter Dutton has slammed members of the Government who were in contact with him for avoiding isolation.

A woman on the same flight as Peter Dutton has questioned the leadership of the Australian Government after those who came into contact with the Home Affairs Minister didn’t go into isolation.

Prisoner advocate Debbie Kilroy and indigenous activist Boneta-Marie Mabo were on a flight from Sydney to Los Angeles with the Minister, before he found out he was infected with coronavirus.

Both have tested positive the deadly infection.

Ms Kilroy said she couldn’t be sure Mr Dutton made them ill, but he was sitting just two seats in front of them and was the only confirmed case she was aware of having contact with.

UPDATE Tests came back for #COVIDー19 & @BonetaMarieMabo & I have virus We are not being hospitalised as there’s limited beds We are the first ones being quarantined in community Yes it’s frightening but I’m healthy & should be fine after 14 days ♥️ Take care of yourselves plz 😍

— Debbie Kilroy (@DebKilroy) March 15, 2020

The women went to hospital after arriving back in Australia feeling unwell, like they had a low-level flu.

But Ms Kilroy questioned why cabinet members who met with Mr Dutton, along with Prime Minister Scott Morrison, didn’t have to get tested or go into isolation.

“All the rest of us are told to quarantine but they’re a law unto themselves,” she told news.com.au.

“They continue to swan around. Just because you don’t have symptoms doesn’t mean you don’t have the virus.

“They need to be responsible. No one can say where you got the virus from but if you’ve been exposed (to someone) in the 14 days, you get tested and go into quarantine...all the people in close proximity to him have refused to do that.

“Where’s the leadership?”

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Debbie Kilroy and Boneta-Marie Mabo have contracted the coronavirus. Picture: Debbie Kilroy/Twitter

Ms Kilroy said she and Ms Mabo are the first to be allowed to quarantine in the community, and are currently holed up in a private house to recover.

Mr Dutton was diagnosed with coronavirus on Friday and is the first member of the Australian parliament to contract the virus.

He said he had woken up with a sore throat and temperature on Friday morning and as a result was tested for COVID-19.

“I was advised by Queensland Health this afternoon that the test had returned positive,” he said in a statement.

“It is the policy of Queensland Health that anyone who tests positive is to be admitted into hospital and I have complied with their advice.”

Peter Dutton met with many high ranking officials while in the US, including Ivanka Trump. Picture: Andrea Hanks/The White House via AP

The Home Affairs Minister had recently returned from a trip to Washington D.C. where he met with high ranking government officials, including Ivanka Trump.

After returning to Australia he attended a cabinet meeting with Prime Minister Scott Morrison and other ministers.

While waiting for their test results, Ms Kilroy questioned why Mr Morrison and the other ministers Mr Dutton came into contact with haven’t been tested.

“We were on the same plane as Peter Dutton so we had to be tested for #COVID19Aus today when we arrived back in the country & now we have been quarantined until our tests are back,” she wrote on Twitter.

“WTF Why hasn’t @ScottMorrisonMP & others been quarantined & we have?”

However, Mr Morrison has said there is “no need” for him to self-isolate for be tested for the virus.

“There’s no need. I have no symptoms of the coronavirus,” the he told Sky News.

“Testing resources are scarce resources and they should only be used where the medical advice suggests a test should be conducted.”

There are now 313 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Australia, with the death toll rising to five over the weekend.

Victoria and the ACT both declared states of emergency today, with South Australia declaring a public health emergency yesterday.

With AAP

Originally published as Coronavirus: Two women on same flight as Peter Dutton contract virus