This is the moment an Australian Covid briefing had to be stopped because a venomous spider was crawling over the Queensland health minister.
Yvette D’Ath was giving her regular press update outside Queensland’s Parliament House when reporters spotted a large huntsman spider crawling on her.
The spiders, which can have a leg span of up to 15cm, possess venom. However, they are reluctant to bite humans and are not normally considered dangerous.
Ms D’Ath did her best to maintain her composure, saying: “Can someone please get that spider off?”
She joked: “This shows how controlled I can be, I’m going to keep going and pretend I don’t have a huntsman on me right now and let someone else manage. But if it gets anywhere near my face, please let me know.”
Queensland’s Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard and interpreter Mike Webb both approached the lectern to chase the spider away.
After the incident, the minister posted on Twitter: “Update - no spiders were harmed during the press conference”.
The state has reported five Omicron cases to date, and will introduce a mask mandate from Saturday.
It will require mask wearing on public transport and indoor retail.
“We don’t yet know enough about Omicron, and it’s prudent to take sensible measures to slow the spread of this variant of the virus,” said Ms D’Ath.
The current rules will be in place until 90 per cent of Queenslanders aged 16 and older have received two doses of a Covid vaccine.
