Daniel Andrews admits he won’t be back at work until at least June as he recovers from a fractured spine after falling on a set of slippery stairs – as he shares candid photo with his daughter
- Victorian Premier Dan Andrews will be on leave until June after spinal injury
- The politician will miss the handing down of Victoria’s state budget on May 20
- Mr Andrews fractured ribs and injured spine after fall in Mornington Peninsula
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews will be on leave until June as he recovers from a spinal injury and fractured ribs.
Mr Andrews will miss the handing down of the state’s budget on May 20, but said he expects to be back at work in June and can now walk for up to an hour a time.
The politician slipped and fell down wet stairs at a holiday rental in the Mornington Peninsula on March 9.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews (pictured with daughter Grace) will be on leave until June
Dan Andrews has confirmed he will miss the handing down of the state’s budget on May 20
‘Thanks to the best of care, I’m making slow and steady progress. A couple of weeks ago when I started daily walks, I could only manage about 15 minutes – now I’m out for almost an hour,’ Mr Andrews tweeted on Sunday.
‘My physio is also going well, but it’s clear I won’t be able to return to work before the State Budget in May. The good news is my team of specialists are confident that I will be back in June.’
The Premier said he was still waiting for his serious injuries to heal in a post accompanied by a photo of him with his teenage daughter Grace.
‘You only get one chance to properly recover from serious injuries and while it’s frustrating to be away from work, there is no alternative. We just have to wait until the ribs and spinal fracture have properly healed,’ he said.
The politician slipped and fell down wet stairs at a holiday rental in the Mornington Peninsula
Mr Andrews revealed his recovery had been ‘pretty painful’ in a message posted over Easter.
‘Thanks for all your messages of support over the past couple of weeks. They’ve really helped to keep my spirits up in what’s been a pretty painful time,’ he wrote on April 4.
Deputy Premier James Merlino, who holds education and health portfolios, is acting on behalf of Mr Andrews as he recovers.
Mr Andrews was rushed to hospital with five broken ribs and an acute compression fracture of the T7 vertebra when he slipped in March.
He was then transferred to a specialist trauma centre at The Alfred hospital and is now being treated at home through Alfred Health’s Better@Home service.