Australia’s home affairs minister tests positive for coronavirus

SYDNEY, March 13 — Australia’s home affairs minister Peter Dutton said he tested positive for coronavirus on Friday.

“This morning I woke up with a temperature and sore throat. I immediately contacted the Queensland Department of Health and was subsequently tested for Covid-19. I was advised by Queensland Health this afternoon that the test had returned positive,” he said in a statement issued by his office.

“I feel fine and will provide an update in due course.”

Australia has recorded 156 infections and three deaths from the flu-like disease but authorities expect this to increase rapidly in the coming weeks with the arrival of the southern hemisphere winter. — Reuters