Two passengers on board an international flight with Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton have been infected with the coronavirus and are among the first to recover at a private home rather than in hospital.
Eddie Mabo’s granddaughter Boneta-Marie Mabo and prisoner advocate Debbie Kilroy from Sisters Inside have revealed they were sitting two seats behind Mr Dutton on a flight from Sydney to Los Angeles on March 5 before he found out he was infected.
She posted on social media at the time: “How freaky is it when you’re traveling to NYC to speak at the #beyondthebars conference to #freeher and Peter Dutton is sitting 2 seats in front”.
“I was wondering if my life was going to end,” she wrote.
Ms Kilroy posted on social media on Saturday that they were tested when they arrived back in the country and were quarantined until the test results were in.
She revealed on Monday morning they had tested positive to COVID-19 and were recovering in a private house in the community, not in hospital due to limited availability of beds.
She described the situation as “frightening” but said she was feeling healthy.
Tweet from @DebKilroy
They questioned as to why Prime Minister Scott Morrison, among others, who had also been in contact with the home affairs minister were also not quarantined.
On Saturday, US President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka avoided the White House and worked from home “out of an abundance of caution” after coming into close contact with Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton.
Tweet from @DebKilroy
Ms Kilroy says she can’t be sure Mr Dutton made them ill, but he was sitting just two seats in front and he’s the only confirmed case she’s aware of having contact with.
The women went to hospital after arriving back in Australia and feeling unwell, like they had a low-level flu.
Tweet from @DebKilroy
“(They asked) have you been in contact with anyone who has tested positive to coronavirus in the last 14 days,” she told ABC radio on Monday morning.
“And it was like well the only person I know that’s tested positive that I’ve been in the vicinity of in an enclosed space was Peter Dutton, two seats in front.”
Ms Kiloy said she and Ms Mabo are the first to be allowed to quarantine in the community, and are currently holed up in a private house to recover.
-with AAP
