Swine flu scare hits NSW cabinet

The entire NSW cabinet has been caught up in the swine flu scare after the Tourism Minister, who was on a flight containing infected passengers, attended a meeting of ministers.Tourism Minister Jodi McKay travelled on a flight from Los Angeles in which people contracted the swine flu virus.She is then understood to have attended a meeting of cabinet before pulling out of all public engagements yesterday.The director-general of the Department of Premier and Cabinet John Lee last night issued an email to ministerial offices in which he said Ms McKay, her chief of staff and the NSW Chief Scientist, who were travelling back from the Los Angeles were to withdraw from public sight after they realised they were on the affected Qantas flight."I wish to advise Jodi, her chief of staff and the NSW Chief Scientist have recently returned from the US," Mr Lee said."They have advised today that the plane they travelled on carried four passengers who tested positive to H1N1."All three have taken advice from NSW Health and have no symptoms of the influenza. However, the minister, her chief of staff and the Chief Scientist have decided to withdraw from public engagements until further notice as a precaution."The ban on public appearances means Ms McKay, the minister for the Hunter, will miss a community cabinet meeting in Newcastle tomorrow.