South Australia’s parliament will be adjourned on Thursday morning, and all MPs and staff directed to avoid in-person meetings, after former premier Jay Weatherill tested positive for COVID-19.

Key points:

  • Former SA premier Jay Weatherill tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a school reunion
  • His close contacts include Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas, who is awaiting test results
  • It comes amid an already tumultuous week in state politics

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.”

The letter goes on to state that members and staff do not need to isolate from members of their own household unless advised to do so.

Mr Weatherill attended a high school reunion held at Theatre Bugs in the eastern suburb of Norwood on Saturday night, where at least two people, both men in their 50s, contracted COVID-19.

SA Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas waits for a COVID-19 test at Victoria Park on Wednesday night.(Twitter: Peter Malinauskas)

The former premier now resides in Perth, where he runs an early childhood education initiative for the Minderoo Foundation, founded by mining magnate Andrew Forrest and his wife Nicola.

Mr Weatherill has had a busy public schedule in recent days in Adelaide including a press conference, interviews, and face-to-face meetings with former colleagues Mr Malinauskas, Ms Close and former deputy premier John Rau.

The COVID-19 scare comes amid an already tumultuous week in state politics, with Thursday scheduled to be the final sitting day of parliament before the March state election.

With neither of the major parties holding a majority in the 47-seat House of Assembly, Labor had been seeking the support of crossbenchers to extend parliamentary sittings into the new year.

The government was expected on Thursday to seek to adjourn the parliament until May, having lost a similar motion at the end of the previous sitting week in November

Premier Steven Marshall’s grasp on power in the House of Assembly was weakened further on Tuesday, when crossbenchers joined Labor in taking the unprecedented step of successfully suspending the Attorney-General Vickie Chapman from parliamentary sittings for contempt.

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