Brad Hazzard blasts ‘juvenile’ pranksters falsely reporting Covid tests

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard has blasted “juvenile” pranksters for falsely reporting other people, including himself, as Covid positive.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard has blasted “moronic” and “malicious” residents who have been falsely reporting other people – including himself – as positive Covid cases.

Mr Hazzard said it was “disappointing” to see people using the function within the Service NSW app, which is designed for people who return positive RAT tests, to lodge false reports.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet and Health Minister Brad Hazzard on Tuesday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Adam Yip

“I can now speak from personal experience, I received notification yesterday and again today from New South Wales Health that apparently somebody has put my name in there as being a positive rapid antigen test,” Mr Hazzard said.

“The purpose of (the reporting function) is to enable our public health team to keep track of the movement of the Omicron and Delta … it is extremely irresponsible, you are undermining the public health team who is trying to do everything here to keep the entire community safe.”

“It is juvenile, it is moronic but it’s also so disappointing.”

Mr Hazzard warned pranksters using the app that they could be hit with a $5000 fine.

“The police will come hunting and if you’re caught, you will cop a $5,000 fine but worse still, when you’re telling your friends about that, they will probably tell you how stupid you are,” he said.