A crew member on Sunrise has tested positive for COVID-19 and has been identified as a close contact of pregnant newsreader Edwina Bartholomew.
WATCH Natalie Barr reveals Sunrise COVID-19 scare live on air
Co-host Natalie Barr revealed on Friday morning that Edwina and the infected crew member are now self-isolating at home.
The employee, who is fully vaccinated, tested positive on Thursday after working at Sunrise’s Martin Place studio on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week.
Nat, alongside fill-in co-host Michael Usher, told viewers the offices were undergoing a deep clean and said all staff have since been tested.
“Hello and welcome to Friday. A COVID scare of our own overnight, we join you after a staffer tested positive,” she said.
“The studio has been deep cleaned. We’ve all been tested. Everyone here is okay.
“Eddy (Bartholomew) is a close contact so she’s isolating but is all right. And Kochie (David Koch) was already having the day off so Michael is here. We’ll have more details on that later.”
Nat and Michael later chatted to Edwina, who said she tested negative overnight but would have to quarantine for 14 days.
“I went and got a test about 7.30pm last night and it came back this morning and it’s negative, which is a huge relief,” she told her colleagues via a Zoom call.
“It was a huge fright. Huge fright. It was such a sleepless night. If I had it, my husband would have it, he has chronic fatigue, my daughter would have it.
“The thought that I would infect the rest of my family with this hideous, hideous condition was just so scary.”
Edwina, who last week announced she is pregnant with her second child, has had one dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
“I’m doing okay… very grateful to be at least half-vaccinated and thankful so much that the other staff member was double vaccinated,” she said.
Channel Seven reps confirmed the employee caught the virus from another case unrelated to the network.
“Seven’s number one priority is the health, safety and welfare of all staff and the community,” they said in a statement.
“Seven West Media confirms a positive case of COVID-19 has been identified in a staff member of the Martin Place office,” the statement read.
“Seven is introducing all precautionary measures to ensure the health and safety of all staff, as well as the broader community, and is working to the NSW Health guidelines and all other relevant regulations.
The spokesperson said that there is currently no change to today’s production schedule, but there is a back-up plan in place if the situation changes at all.
Just a week ago Edwina revealed live on-air the exciting news that she is expecting her second child with her husband Neil Varcoe.
The mother of 20-month-old Molly revealed that she is currently three-months pregnant.
“In developing news, news that will be developing news, news that will be developing for the next six months, we will be having another baby,” she said.
“Due in February, and I tried to tell Molly and she was not terribly interested. I showed her the photo when she scrunched up and threw on the floor.”
