No parliament for Barnaby Joyce as Deputy PM is trapped in Armidale lockdown

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce will not be permitted to attend parliament after being caught up in a NSW lockdown.

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce will not be attending parliament after travelling to his home electorate of New England at the weekend.

The Deputy Prime Minister travelled to Armidale on Thursday and got caught in the latest NSW outbreak of Covid-19.

Mr Joyce was denied entry into Canberra, with ACT health authorities informing him that he could not attend parliament after stay-at-home orders were imposed on the Armidale Regional Council local government area.

Mr Joyce was due to give a speech at the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday, but this has now been cancelled. Picture: Glenn Hunt / The Australian

The Armidale LGA went into lockdown at 5pm on Saturday after two people tested positive for Covid-19 in the area on Friday.

NSW Covid-19 Public Health Response Branch executive director Jeremy McAnulty said the cases were a woman who recently travelled to Newcastle and one of her household contacts.

The lockdown applies to everyone in the Armidale LGA including anyone who has visited the area since July 29. It is set to last for one week ending on August 15.

Neighbouring Tamworth is also set to go into lockdown at 5pm on Monday after an infectious Newcastle woman travelled to the town and attended several venues.

Testing staff have been hard at work in Newcastle. Picture: Peter Lorimer / NCA NewsWire

Mr Joyce was due to give a speech at the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday, but this has now been cancelled.

“This address has been postponed due to the escalating Covid-19 situation in Tamworth and Armidale, where the Deputy Prime Minister is currently locked down and unable to return to the ACT,” the National Press Club said on its website.

More to come