“Appalling”: Dan Andrews rips into protestors after nurses are spat on
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has slammed the “appalling behaviour” of protesters after they “spat on” nurses at Melbourne’s Town Hall and now one of the protestors has tested positive to COVID, sparking fears of a superspreader event.
About 300 to 400 protesters swarmed the city on Wednesday, despite stay-at-home orders and repeated warnings from authorities.
The protestors are workers from the construction industry and they are protesting against lockdowns and mandatory vaccinations.
On Monday night, Andrews announced that the construction industry would be shut down for two weeks in metropolitan Melbourne, City of Ballarat, City of Greater Geelong, Surf Coast Shire and Mitchell Shire.
Protestor tests positive for COVID
On Thursday, the Victorian health department confirmed a person who attended the protests in Melbourne’s CBD on Wednesday has returned a positive COVID test result.
The individual is being treated in a Melbourne hospital.
The department stated: “We are urging protestors to get tested should they experience COVID-like symptoms, no matter how mild.”
The person will be included in Friday’s COVID-19 case numbers for Victoria.
With many protesters not wearing masks, the possibility of transmission has been a major concern to Victorian health authorities.
Police have made 92 arrests over this set of protests so far.
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