Clive Palmer home after Covid hospital scare

Clive Palmer is back home in his Gold Coast mansion after being rushed to hospital on Thursday with Covid-like symptoms.

The billionaire was tested for Covid-19 at hospital before later returning home. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

Clive Palmer is back home in his Gold Coast mansion after being rushed to hospital on Thursday with Covid-like symptoms.

Three ambulances arrived at Mr Palmer’s mansion at Paradise Point just before noon and took him and his wife, Anna, to the Pindara Private Hospital.

The billionaire, who along with his wife is unvaccinated, was described as being very sick. He was tested for the virus at hospital before later returning home.

After news of his hospital ­admission became public, a spokesman for Mr Palmer said: “He is not well and on doctor’s advice he has gone to the hospital.”

Later in the day, the spokesman confirmed that Mr Palmer had “returned home after being tested and was recovering.’’

The spokesman said Mr ­Palmer was waiting on results and that reports that Mrs Palmer had tested positive earlier in the week were incorrect.

Mr Palmer, 67, began developing symptoms on Monday night, on the eve of a scheduled speech at the National Press Club in ­Canberra.

The controversial businessman, who is bankrolling his ­United Australia Party to run across Australia at the federal election, became so ill on his way to the airport on Tuesday that he had to return to his Gold Coast mansion. His appearance at the press club was cancelled.

Mr Palmer is a Queensland Senate candidate and is chairman of the United Australia Party, which he founded.

The UAP has an anti-Covid restriction and anti-vaccine mandate platform.

Mr Palmer has repeatedly questioned the safety and effectiveness of vaccines and has been accused of spreading misinformation.

Just weeks ago, he said he had no plans to get vaccinated.

“Of course I won’t,” he said. “Many of the press have reported that we are an anti-vax party, but we’re not. We’re for vaccines, but vaccines that have been through tried-and-tested systems of ­approval in Australia.”