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By Nicholas McElroy
Here are the details on former SA premier Jay Weatherill testing positive for COVID-19
Former SA premier Jay Weatherill has tested positive for COVID-19 after attending an event over the weekend where other cases were present.
Mr Weatherill was at a school reunion on Saturday in Norwood, in Adelaide’s eastern suburbs, with other interstate travellers.
Mr Weatherill resides in Perth now, but travelled to Adelaide in recent days, after South Australia’s borders opened.
He has taken part in a number of high-level meetings during his time in SA, including with Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas on Monday.
Mr Malinauskas said he would get tested and isolate for the time being.
“Upon hearing the news this evening that Jay Weatherill has tested positive, I immediately left parliament at 8:20pm and went to Victoria Park to get tested,” he tweeted.
“I will isolate while I await the test results and further advice from SA Health.”
By Nicholas McElroy
SA parliament goes into COVID-19 shutdown to allow contact tracing after former premier tests positive
Some parliamentarians who met with Mr Weatherill in recent days, including Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas, have been identified as close contacts of a positive case, meaning they must quarantine for seven days.
Deputy Opposition Leader Susan Close has also sought a COVID-19 test after contact with Mr Weatherill.
In a letter distributed to MPs by Health Minister Stephen Wade, Deputy Chief Public Health Officer Chris Lease said that SA Health had advised that the morning sessions of both the House of Assembly and Legislative Council should be adjourned to allow contact tracing to be undertaken.
“Members of Parliament, and all staff who worked at Parliament House on 30 November or 1 December 2021, should avoid undertaking in-person meetings or electoral office business or other work which involves working closer to any person than 1.5 [metres],” the letter states.
“Further advice in relation to the afternoon session will be provided tomorrow morning when the situation becomes clearer.”
By Nicholas McElroy
Omicron COVID variant detected for the first time in the US
The US has identified its first confirmed case of the new Omicron variant
The case is isolating with mild symptoms in California, and had returned on a flight from South Africa.
The White House’s Chief Medical Advisor and top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci is encouraging Americans to get vaccinated.
“The California and San Francisco departments of public health and the CDC have confirmed that a recent case of COVID-19 in an individual in California was caused by the Omicron variant,” Dr Fauci said.
“To protect people, get vaccinated, get boosted, and all the other things we’ve been talking about.”
By Nicholas McElroy
Here is the link to yesterday’s COVID blog
And this is a quick summary of what happened on Wednesday:
- Having earlier declared no new cases, Queensland announced a positive case on the Gold Coast late on Wednesday afternoon
- NSW confirmed a sixth case of the Omicron variant, in a man who had recently been in southern Africa
- Tasmania reported no new cases, a day after a woman in her 40s returning from the United States tested positive
- The Northern Territory recorded three new cases, and Robinson River exited its lockout
- ‘Multiple’ people escaped from the Howard Springs COVID-19 quarantine facility. They were later arrested
- Victoria recorded 1,179 local COVID-19 cases and another six deaths
By Nicholas McElroy
By Nicholas McElroy
Good morning and welcome to the ABC News COVID blog
I’m Nic and I’ll be with you for all the morning’s COVID updates.
As always, please feel free to send us your questions/comments/witty observations in the comments.
