‘Very sleepless night’: Pregnant newsreader Edwina Bartholomew left terrified and forced into isolation as a Sunrise crew member tests positive for Covid-19 after working three days in the breakfast show’s studios
A Sunrise crew member has tested positive for Covid-19 overnight, putting the entire breakfast show team at risk, including pregnant newsreader Edwina Bartholomew.
The staff member returned a positive test on Thursday after working at the Channel Seven Studios in Sydney’s Martin Place for three consecutive days.
Host Natalie Barr, 53, announced the news on Friday morning at the start of the show, revealing that newsreader Edwina, 38, was a close contact and Michael Usher was filling in for David Koch.
Edwina was sent into isolation during the show, later saying that she had a ‘very sleepless night,’ before thankfully returning a negative test result.
Scare: A Sunrise crew member has tested positive for Covid-19 after working three days in the breakfast show’s studios and is a ‘close contact’ of pregnant newsreader Edwina Bartholomew. Natalie Barr announced the news live on the show on Friday. Pictured alongside Michael Usher
‘Hello and welcome to Friday everyone. And we join you after a Covid-19 scare of our own overnight, a staffer tested positive,’ Natalie said.
‘The studio has been deep cleaned. We’ve all been tested. Everyone here is OK,’ she continued, as footage played of the studio being cleaned by a person in a hazmat suit.
‘Eddy is a close contact so she’s isolating but is all right. And Kochie was already having the day off so Michael Usher is here. We’ll have more details on that later.’
‘The studio has been deep cleaned. We’ve all been tested. Everyone here is okay,’ she said, as footage played of the studio being cleaned by a person in a hazmat suit
Scare: Natalie revealed that pregnant newsreader Edwina, 38, was a ‘close contact’ and is isolating
The Covid-positive employee is fully vaccinated, does not live in a hotspot, and is asymptomatic, Channel Seven confirmed to Daily Mail Australia in a statement on Friday.
They were a ‘close contact’ of another case unrelated to Seven.
Seven confirmed it has a rapid antigen testing station for employees, with the Network saying in a statement: ‘Seven’s number one priority is the health, safety and welfare of all staff and the community.’
‘Seven West Media confirms a positive case of COVID-19 has been identified in a staff member of the Martin Place office.
‘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.’
All close and casual contacts of the covid-positive staffer have been identified and testing is underway.
‘At this time, there is no change to today’s production schedule. We have back-up plans in place should the situation change at all,’ the statement added.
‘I’m doing okay’: Edwina joined the show on Friday via a Zoom from her home, while isolating, and gave viewers an update on how she is doing
Edwina joined the show on Friday via Zoom while isolating at home and gave viewers an update on how she is doing.
‘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, having recently received one dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
She confirmed that she tested negative to Covid-19 after her test results came back earlier Friday morning.
‘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.’
What a relief! She confirmed that she tested negative to Covid-19 after her test results came back earlier Friday morning
‘I’m extremely grateful,’ she said.
She finished: ‘It’s a huge, huge relief… It was a very sleepless night.’
Edwina announced she’s expecting her second child with her husband of three years, Neil Varcoe, on Sunrise last week.
The couple are already parents to a 20-month-old daughter, Molly.
Earlier this month, hosts Natalie and David ‘Kochie’ Koch, 65, received their second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
They explained that their appointment for the second jab was brought forward due to recently updated medical advice from NSW Health amid Sydney’s Covid-19 outbreak.
The pair received their first doses in May live on Sunrise.
‘With the growing Covid emergency in Sydney, anyone who received the AstraZeneca jab should now get their second shot in four to eight weeks,’ Kochie explained.
A Statement from Channel Seven
‘Seven West Media confirms a positive case of COVID-19 has been identified in a staff member of the Martin Place office.
The staff member took a COVID-19 test after they were identified earlier in the week as a close contact of a positive case unrelated to Seven. The staff member is double vaccinated, does not reside in an LGA hotspot and is asymptomatic. The staff member has been in self isolation from the moment they were identified as a close contact and their test results were later confirmed as positive.
The staff member worked in Martin Place earlier this week.
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.
All close contacts of the staff member have been identified. They have been contacted and advised to get tested and isolate for 14 days regardless of the result.
All casual contacts of the staff member have been identified. They have been contacted and advised to get tested and isolate until a result is received.
Our Martin Place centre was deep cleaned on Thursday evening. From this morning, rapid antigen tests are available for all staff wishing to be tested on-site at Martin Place. For field crews, testing is at the rear of the Eveleigh studios.
At this time, there is no change to today’s production schedule. We have back-up plans in place should the situation change at all.
Seven’s number one priority is the health, safety and welfare of all staff and the community.’
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