CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s opposition leader said Thursday he has tested positive for COVID-19 in the second week of campaigning ahead of the May 21 election.
Anthony Albanese, 59, a leader of the centre-left Labor Party, said he was feeling fine and will remain in quarantine at his home in Sydney for a week.
“From home, I will continue to fulfill my responsibilities as an alternate prime minister and my fight for a better future for all Australians,” Albanese said in a statement.
The party, seeking its first electoral victory since 2010, leads Conservative Prime Minister Scott Morrison in the polls.
Morrison, 53, tested positive for COVID-19 on March 1 with mild symptoms.
Morrison and Albanese squared off in a debate on Wednesday. They shook hands and posed together for photos.
Morrison sent a greeting to Albanese with his best wishes.
“Everyone has a different experience with COVID, and as the Labor campaign continues, I hope he does not suffer from severe symptoms,” Morrison tweeted.
Hours before testing positive, Albanese wore a mask during a visit to a retirement community in Nowra, south of Sydney.
Albanese said he tested positive in a routine PCR test before a scheduled flight to Perth on the west coast.
Australia reported 54,137 new cases in the last 24 hours with 50 deaths in a population of 26 million.
