Anthony Albanese has given his first interview since going into isolation after testing positive for COVID.
“I’ve had better days, but a lot of people xjmtzywhave had it a lot worse. So, I’m one of the many millions of Australians who have gone through this,” the Labor leader told the ABC on Friday.
“I’m just taking the health advice. I will be isolating for seven days here at home in Marrickville.
“And hopefully, I get through it and I’m able to then re-join the campaign physically, rather than virtually, from next week.”
Mr Albanese said he had “war gamed” having to go into isolation — and said it was better to happen in the first three weeks rather than last few of the campaign.
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But after a disastrous first few days in his campaign — which included a gaffe where he couldn’t name the national unemployment rate — Mr Albanese conceded he had been starting to get momentum before the positive PCR result on Thursday evening.
“This is a long campaign and if I was going to get COVID, it is better to have got it now than in the last three weeks of the campaign,” he said.
“We have our campaign launch in Perth on May 1.
“And hopefully, I’ll be right to do that. I’m taking the health advice.
“I will get lots of rest, lots of fluids and everything else that my doctor has told me to do. I’ll certainly take that advice.”
Mr Albanese noted that many of his Labor colleagues had also been brought down from COVID since the federal budget was handed down.
”We’ve had Jason Clare and Tony Burke and Kristina Keneally, and a range of people go down with COVID,” he said.
“And I think the same thing has happened on the other side, as well.
“So, we had war gamed the process. We set up so that people will come in and fill the appointments that I’d made.”
Mr Albanese said deputy Labor leader Richard Marles would be representing him for Anzac Day in Darwin.
“I was really looking forward to it. It’s always a special day to pay tribute to the men and women who defended us and continue to do so,” he said.
“So, we’ll get through it. This is Australia and indeed the world in 2022, unfortunately.”
