Australia’s treasurer Josh Frydenberg tested negative for coronavirus, after suffering a coughing fit during a speech in parliament that left him breathless and straining for water.
“Yesterday I was tested for COVID-19 out of an abundance of caution,” he tweeted on Wednesday.
“This morning I received the result of the test which was negative.”
Frydenberg’s voice croaked as he hacked and sniffed for a few awkward moments on Tuesday while trying to inform parliament in Canberra about the economic impact the virus was having on the nation.
The episode — as Frydenberg stood next to Prime Minister Scott Morrison — raised fears that coronavirus may have touched the highest levels of the Australian government.
AFP