McKenna and Stewart test negative again but ramifications unclear
Essendon pair Conor McKenna and James Stewart have again tested negative for the coronavirus however it remains unclear whether they will be able to leave quarantine early.
McKenna and Stewart were both tested on Wednesday, returning negative results. McKenna had tested positive for the virus on Saturday after returning an irregularity from a Friday test, but has since tested negative twice, following several negative results in the lead-up to last Friday.
Stewart has never tested positive, but was deemed by the Department of Health and Human Services to have been a close contact of McKenna and therefore forced into quarantine, like the Irishman, for two weeks backdated to last Friday.
"It's a positive test. It's being treated as a confirmed positive. There are lots of people who test positive one day, they're at the very tail-end of their infection and then they test negative the following day. If you get two negative tests 24 hours apart, you as a case are clear. But your close contacts, [from] when you are potentially infectious, they have to go through their 14-day quarantine period. That will apply to Conor McKenna's contacts," Sutton said.
James Stewart is the only Bomber to have been deemed a close contact of Conor McKenna by DHHS.Credit:Pat Scala
The DHHS was contacted several times on Wednesday for clarification about whether McKenna would be clear to resume training and playing following a second consecutive negative test but are yet to give a definitive answer.
Stewart's agent Peter Jess is agitating for his client to be released early from quarantine in order to stake his claim for a spot in the Dons' side.
Essendon great Tim Watson addressed the issue on SEN on Thursday morning.
“It’s important to remember this, Conor tested positive on Friday and Saturday, now since then they’ve all been negative tests. He’s had two tests that have come back negative, Watson said.
“At this stage everybody is still working with the DHHS and I guess Essendon will be trying to negotiate whether they can be released from their 14 days of isolation but that’s yet to be determined."