Newly-reinstated Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce is back in Parliament for Question Time after he was found to be a possible close contact of a COVID-19 case.

Defence Minister Peter Dutton told Question Time Mr Joyce had been identified as a possible contact of a COVID-19 case after attending a function.

However, the Nationals leader has since returned to the House.

Mr Dutton said no other federal representatives were believed to be in a similar situation.

All NSW MPs were issued with a "stay put" directive after it was revealed NSW Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall contracted the virus.

Mr Marshall was one of the four ministers told to self-isolate after dining in a Paddington restaurant on Monday, which was listed as a venue of concern.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Health Minister Brad Hazzard have both been released from isolation after testing negative for the virus.

LIVE UPDATES: Health Minister in isolation after virus alert

The agriculture minister dined with Nationals MPs Ben Franklin, Trevor Khan and Steph Cooke at Christo's Pizzeria eatery on Monday.

A message from government whip Adam Crouch just after 9am this morning advised ministers to "stay put" and not move until they receive further updates following the positive diagnosis.

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"If you are currently in Parliament House, remain in Parliament House," the message read.

"If you are not in Parliament House, remain where you are."

Ms Berejiklian confirmed at a press conference she had been categorised as a casual contact and isolated until she returned a negative test result today.

She said she had not had any contact with Mr Marshall.

"He has been interviewed and he had zero contact with me and others. I was interviewed and had zero contact," she said.

"I was there for a short time, addressed the crowd and didn't have contact with him whatsoever."

She has received both doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Mr Hazzard tweeted that he too had returned a negative result and was released from isolation as a casual contact.

Mr Marshall returned a positive test result this morning and is currently asymptomatic.

READ MORE: Sydney isolated by new restrictions

"This morning just after 8am, I was formally advised by NSW Health that I had returned a positive test for COVID-19," Mr Marshall said in a statement.

NSW Health informed him via text message late on Tuesday night that he attended a "close contact venue" on Monday evening and needed to get tested.

Mr Marshall said he was "doing fine" and would continue to follow health advice.

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"To everyone who has contacted me this morning, thank you for your thoughts and well wishes – I'm doing fine and will continue to strictly follow the advice of health authorities," he said.

"To our wonderful NSW Health staff, who continue to do an amazing job in these challenging times, thank you for your support and efforts keeping all of us safe and well."

READ MORE: State-by-state travel restrictions as NSW outbreak grows

Earlier this morning, Parliament whips sent notes to members telling them not to bring in staff due to the positive case and other MPs in isolation.

Earlier, it was indicated that both houses will still sit today with numbers and time in parliament cut to a minimum, however that now appears up in the air.

EXPLAINER: What the tough new Sydney restrictions mean

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READ MORE: Sydney faces lockdown threat over mystery cases

Mr Hazzard said he was "quite confident" NSW would have a "proportionate response" to the current COVID-19 outbreak.

"I feel confident that we will continue to manage it carefully," Mr Hazzard said.

"The restrictions that were put in place are proportionate, they are sensible.

"But certainly we have never, ever before said wear masks basically everywhere except your home."

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Melbourne woman Stephanie Hodge has been waiting almost 18 months to be with her US fiancé Todd Cochran.

On the day Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the international travel ban back in March 2020, Mr Cochran had his suitcase packed and was due to fly out to Australia.

But international time zones meant it was physically impossible for him to make it here in time before the borders closed.

"He would have had to have left the day before. Unless you knew in advance that it was happening, there was nothing beyond a time travel machine that could help him," Ms Hodge said.

A month earlier, Mr Cochran had been granted a prospective marriage visa, sometimes known as a fiancé visa.

But the couple says the visa has been of no use, with the Federal Government's stance towards prospective marriage visa holders remaining unchanged throughout the pandemic.

Prospective marriage visa holders, which account for almost 600 couples, are not considered "immediate family" by the Department of Home Affairs and are not exempt from the inbound travel ban.

However, partner visa holders, which number about 4000, are allowed into the country without applying for an exemption.

Ms Hodge said she had applied five times for a travel exemption for her fiancé, who is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and all of the requests had been rejected.

"We have done it on the basis of family and on our circumstances," Ms Hodge said.

"We keep getting told that, despite the love that we have for each other, it doesn't matter, it's not valid enough. We haven't lived together long enough to be considered a genuine couple.

"We just want a chance. Give us a chance to be a family and start our lives in Australia."

The couple had planned to get married in Australia in April or May but they have since lost the deposits they made on venues booked, Ms Hodge said.

A parliamentary petition calling for travel exemptions to be extended to prospective marriage visa holders closed yesterday after attracting more than 4000 signatures.

Earlier this week, a motion from Greens Senator Nick McKim calling on the government to make the same change was passed by the Senate.

Speaking in parliament yesterday, Mr McKim said prospective marriage visa holders had been left in limbo for too long.

"In the first few months of the pandemic, a lack of a plan was understandable," he said.

"But here we are 15 months on and still no plan from the government; no plan for how to reunite Australian citizens and permanent residents, separated from their partners by the border closure.

"Loved ones remain separated because their relationships don't meet the right definition, or they don't hold the right visa.

"The pain and despair is palpable, with no end in sight."

Independent MP for Warringah Zali Steggall has also taken up the cause for prospective marriage holders, holding a meeting with Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews yesterday to discuss the issue.

In a letter from Ms Steggall to the minister earlier this month, she wrote: "Despite going to extraordinary lengths to prove the authenticity of their relationships these couples have had their exemption applications rejected at times up to 25 times.

"These couples have now been separated for at least 14 months and the prospect of a further 12 month separation is cause for enormous distress."

Nine.com.au has contacted Ms Andrews for comment but did not receive a reply before publication.

A spokesperson for the Australian Border Force said any exemptions to Australia's travel restrictions must be balanced against the Government's intent in protecting the health of the Australian community.

"Unless there are compelling and compassionate reasons to travel to Australia, fiancés (including holders of Prospective Marriage visas) are not exempt from travel restrictions, as they are not immediate family members," the spokesperson said.

"Any changes to travel exemption categories will be a process informed by health advice."

Contact reporter Emily McPherson at em********@******om.au.

Barnaby Joyce has admitted he "failed" to update his register of interests, and declare he had a rental property in New South Wales.

On the day he was sworn in, the Deputy Prime Minister changed the listing of a property at Loomberah in New South Wales from residential to "investment property".

RP data shows the property was advertised for rent at $625 per week on February 10 this year. 

Real estate agent Ray White has it listed as leased.

In a statement to Nine News, Mr Joyce said: "The Loomberah property was previously on the Register of Interests. Upon a change of purpose, I failed to update the details of the Register. This has now been rectified. All other disclosures are up to date and complete".

 Mr Joyce has also listed a private charter flight from Armidale to Brisbane on May 5 under "travel or hospitality". 

The following day, My Joyce chaired a public hearing in Brisbane as part of parliamentary inquiry into Developing Australia's Space Industry.

The register of interests declaration does not say who provided the charter flight and Mr Joyce did not answer questions on who provided the flight.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has rubbished claims Australia bought a cheaper vaccine by investing in AstraZeneca.

Independent senator Jacqui Lambie claimed on Today the country had bought the "budget shot", in favour of the Pfizer vaccine.

"Certainly from being part of that COVID committee the other day, (my question) was 'what did you get us, the budget shot?' It was cheaper," Ms Lambie said.

READ MORE: A 'complete refresh' for Australia's vaccine rollout

"That's really, really worrying because I have to ask what our is worth to the Prime Minister this morning.

"They will still not give a direct answer whether they purchased the AstraZeneca because it was cheaper than the Pfizer."

READ MORE: More states slam shut to Sydney

Mr Morrison called the claims "rubbish" and said it was a "$7 billion" purchase.

"That is not cheap in anybody's language," Mr Morrison said.

Mr Morrison said he would work to offer everybody a vaccination by the end of the year.

"The vaccine roll-out will hit seven million doses," he told Today.

"Two-thirds of people over 70 have had their first dose," he said.

"Around half of those over 50 have had their first dose."

Ms Lambie questioned when additional Pfizer vaccines would arrive on our shores.

"Why it's taken so long to get more of those Pfizer shots is beyond me," Ms Lambie said.

"If you think they're coming by Christmas, I tell you, you've got more confidence in this government than what I have this morning."

Phase-out plans

The AstraZeneca vaccine is due to be phased out in the coming months, with plans to replace it with imported supplies of the Pfizer vaccine.

Projections from the Department of Health forecasts the locally-made AstraZeneca vaccine will be largely phased out by October as demand drops after over-60s are vaccinated.

However, it will still be available by request.

COVID-19 Taskforce Commander Lieutenant-general John Frewen released the Government's latest rollout plan on Wednesday, which aims to provide up to 810,000 Pfizer doses to states and territory's between October and December.

"For all of those people and cohorts that AstraZeneca is preferred, we think they will have received their AstraZeneca by the fourth quarter," Lieutenant-general Frewen said.

"For any people who still do require AstraZeneca, we will have allocations available into the fourth quarter."

Mr Morrison said AstraZeneca has posed challenges for the vaccine rollout.

"The medical advice has restricted its availability to those over 60 and prior to that over 50," Mr Morrison said.

"Now, that was a big shock to the roll-out and they are events outside of the government's control.

"Thankfully we are able to put in place significant supply arrangement, not just with AstraZeneca, but also with Pfizer and Moderna, and of course there is the Novavax and the COVAX facilities as well."

Health advice recommends younger people don't get the AstraZeneca jab due to rare blood clots.

The supply of Pfizer is expected to increase by 300,000 doses a week to 750,000 by August.

From October, Australia should receive 2.3 million doses per week.

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