Australian home affairs minister says he has coronavirus

Australia’s home affairs minister Peter Dutton said he had tested positive for the new coronavirus and entered hospital quarantine on Friday.

“This morning I woke up with a temperature and sore throat … I was advised this afternoon that the test had returned positive,” said the minister, who is an influential member of the government and a key architect of Australia’s controversial immigration laws.

“It is the policy of Queensland Health that anyone who tests positive is to be admitted into hospital and I have complied with their advice,” he added in a statement attached to a tweet.

The minister added that he is feeling fine and will provide an update in due course.

Australia on Friday warned citizens the coronavirus pandemic is now so widespread that they should reconsider all foreign travel, as the government moved to halt events of more than 500 people.

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.

The virus has so far infected almost 135,000 and killed more than 4,900 worldwide.

With agencies