Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has been cleared of COVID-19 after losing her voice, as her second-in-charge calls out the Prime Minister for trying to tear down her Government ahead of the election.
Key points:
- The Premier has returned a negative coronavirus test result
- The Prime Minister says he would quarantine “the same as anyone else” if he came to Queensland for the AFL Grand Final
- A male healthcare worker linked to the cluster at Ipswich Hospital is the state’s newest coronavirus case
Ms Palaszczuk had a noticeably croaky voice when she spoke to media yesterday and did not make any public appearances today.
While her Deputy Premier refused to comment on her health this morning, Treasurer Cameron Dick confirmed this afternoon that Ms Palaszczuk was in fact tested for COVID-19, and the result had come back negative.
A spokesperson for the Premier confirmed Ms Palaszczuk began feeling unwell on Wednesday afternoon after returning to Brisbane from Bundaberg.
While Ms Palaszczuk’s voice sounded croaky from Tuesday, the spokesperson said this was “not unusual” after parliamentary sittings last week.
The Government and the Chief Health Officer have repeatedly urged anyone with any respiratory symptoms to immediately isolate, and get tested.
Mr Dick defended the Premier’s actions.
“She’s done the right thing, she’s listened to the health advice, she’s obeyed the science and the science that informs the health advice,” Mr Dick said.
It comes as the state recorded one new coronavirus case in the past 24 hours — a male health care worker in his 60s, linked to the cluster at Ipswich Hospital, west of Brisbane.
“There is no risk of community transmission from that particular case, and that’s precisely what we want to see here on in,” Health Minister Steven Miles said.
He said a drop in testing rates had since rebounded with more than 11,000 tests conducted state-wide in the last 24 hours.