Australia's Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has tested positive for coronavirus after returning from a US trip

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• Australia's Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton announced on Friday that he has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
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• Dutton said he tested for the virus after waking up with a temperature and sore throat.
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• He said he is now in the hospital under the advice of Queensland health officials.
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• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Australia's Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton announced on Friday that he has tested positive for the new coronavirus, which causes a disease called COVID-19.

In a statement on Friday night, Dutton, 49, said he tested for the disease after waking up with a temperature and sore throat.

-Peter Dutton (@PeterDutton_MP) March 13, 2020

"This morning I woke up with a temperature and sore throat," he said.

"I immediately contacted the Queensland Department of Health and was subsequently tested for COVID-19. I was advised by Queensland Health this afternoon that the test had returned positive."

He said Queensland officials advised him to be admitted to the hospital.

"I feel fine and will provide an update in due course," he added.

Dutton was in Washington, DC, last week for a conference with other representatives for the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, which consists of the US, UK, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada.

-Peter Dutton (@PeterDutton_MP) March 6, 2020

It's unclear if Dutton was recently in close contact with Prime Minister Scott Morrison or other cabinet ministers.

In Australia, there have been 156 confirmed cases and three deaths. 24 of those cases are in Queensland, where Dutton serves as a Liberal Party politician.

On Friday, Australia announced an effective ban on gatherings of more than 500 people and the government said Australians should reconsider all overseas travel due to the coronavirus.

Other government officials around the world have also contracted COVID-19, including Iran's health minister and several other MPs.

On March 10, Nadine Dorries, the minister for mental health in Boris Johnson's government, tested positive for COVID-19. Dorries was reported to have met with members of Parliament and Johnson before receiving the diagnosis, though Downing Street has said Johnson will not be tested and does not have symptoms.

And on March 12, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, announced that she tested positive for COVID-19 and will remain in isolation at home. Prior to the announcement, Trudeau announced that he was self-isolating while his wife was being tested, though Trudeau's office said in a statement that as of March 12 he is in good health with no symptoms.