Morrison’s assistant minister tests positive for COVID-19 as PM misses WA reopening

Several senior government officials and ministers, including one who later tested positive to the coronavirus, spent three hours in a high-level meeting with Prime Minister Scott Morrison before he was diagnosed with COVID-19.

The Prime Minister has taken daily rapid antigen tests since developing a cough on Sunday, a spokesman said. Mr Morrison also took a test before each public engagement and meeting on Tuesday including a National Security Committee of Cabinet meeting and a press conference.

“These tests were taken as a precaution because the Prime Minister had developed a minor cough. All tests returned a negative result,” his spokesman said.

Mr Morrison developed a fever and flu-like symptoms later in the day. He took two rapid antigen tests before a scheduled 8pm event for Ukraine at the Sydney Opera House and got one positive and one negative result.

“He therefore took a PCR test to confirm, and a positive result was recorded later that evening,” his spokesman said. “Contacts have been notified as a matter of precaution.”

The spokesman would not say which ministers or staffers had been identified as close contacts, citing privacy.

Mr Morrison met with the national security committee on Tuesday to discuss issues including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Mr Morrison returned a negative rapid antigen test before the meeting, his spokesman said.

Among the ministers in attendance were Defence Minister Peter Dutton, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews, and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister and Cabinet Ben Morton, who is a close confidant of the Prime Minister and has tested positive since the meeting.

Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne, National Intelligence director-general Andrew Shearer and Chief of the Defence Force Angus Campbell were also in the meeting.

Mr Morton said he tested positive on Wednesday morning.

“I am not experiencing any significant symptoms, only a mild headache,” he said in a statement.

“I will continue to fulfil both my ministerial and electorate responsibilities while isolating in Canberra, before returning to Western Australia.”

Mr Frydenberg contracted COVID-19 in January and had a negative rapid antigen test on Wednesday morning. Mr Dutton has also previously had coronavirus, but he caught one of the earlier strains - testing positive in March 2020.

Mr Morrison’s diagnosis means he will miss out on his first opportunity to enter Western Australia in nearly a year, as Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese takes full advantage of the state’s reopening on Thursday.

The Prime Minister’s planned major address at the Lowy Institute has also been postponed until next Monday, and will now be a virtual event.

In a video posted to Facebook on Wednesday morning, a tired-looking Mr Morrison thanked people for their good wishes following his positive test result. His wife Jenny and their two daughters have tested negative, he confirmed, but remain in isolation as close contacts.

The West Australian border reopens at 12.01am on Thursday and Mr Albanese is scheduled to take one of the first flights to Perth.

On Twitter, the Labor leader wished Mr Morrison a “speedy recovery” from the virus.

Mr Albanese plans to campaign hard for the next three days in Western Australia, with multiple radio interviews and appearances planned.

Several other senior government politicians have tested positive for COVID-19 in recent months, including Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, Government Services Minister Linda Reynolds, and Deputy Nationals leader and Agriculture Minister David Littleproud.