COVID NSW: Hazzard slams ‘selfish’ anti maskers after police assault

Anti-maskers have been slammed by the health minister who labelled them “arrogant, selfish and dopey” after a series of violent incidents in Sydney. LATEST COVID UPDATES

Anti-maskers have been slammed by the health minister who labelled them “arrogant, selfish and dopey” after a series of violent incidents in Sydney.

Police officers and a security guard have been assaulted and another man stabbed after disputes over patrons wearing masks in shopping centres in Western Sydney.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard has blasted the two men who were arrested after allegedly assaulting police officers on Thursday evening.

Dramatic footage has been captured of two 'anti-maskers' being arrested by Police at Wetherill Park. Picture: 9 News

They had been at a Wetherill Park Shopping Centre unmasked before the officers asked them why they were not wearing the protective equipment.

“If you don’t have a medical reason to not wear a mask, not wearing a mask is arrogant, selfish, and actually dopey. And so I hope the full force of the law is thrown at those people,” he said.

The two female police were allegedly assaulted after asking two men why they were not wearing masks in a western Sydney shopping centre.

The two were charged with assaulting police. Picture: 9 News

The men, aged 39 and 51, were allegedly aggressive and argumentative towards the officers.

Police tried to retrain them while the men resisted.

They were eventually arrested and taken to Fairfield Police station where they were charged with a slew of offences including assaulting an officer, resisting an officer and failing to comply with a health order.

Earlier this week, a man was stabbed after a dispute in Windsor.

A 25-year-old man, a woman and two children were at a shopping centre on George Street, Windsor at about 8.20pm on Tuesday when a security guard asked the woman to put on a mask.

Police say the man then allegedly pushed the 59-year-old male security guard before punching him several times.

A man allegedly attacks a security guard and stabs another shopper after being asked to wear a face mask in shopping centre in Windsor. Picture: Channel 7 News

A 53-year-old male member of the public attempted to intervene. However, police say the two men were involved in a fight before the younger man produced a knife and allegedly stabbed the older man in the leg.

A customer and the security guard were able to restrain the 25-year-old man until officers from Hawkesbury Police Area Command arrested him.

The two men were involved in a fight before the younger man produced a knife. Picture: Channel 7 News

NSW RECORDS ANOTHER DONUT DAY

No locally transmitted cases of COVID-19 were recorded in NSW overnight.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said while it was pleasing there needed to be an increase in testing numbers.

“We had just over 16,000 people come forward to get tested in the last 24 hours. I want to thank the community for the response, for the most recent outbreaks,” she said.

“It demonstrated when we all work together, when we work and rely on health advice, we can actually keep the community safe.”

Premier Gladys Berejiklian speaks during a COVID-19 update in St Leonards today. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dylan Coker

The premier added that it means the state is inching towards relaxing restrictions.

“The government is very much in the space of considering health advice in relation to easing restrictions and I want to make that clear,” she said.

“But we won’t have the confidence to do that unless we have higher rates of testing equal is that will assure us that we have captured all previously undetected cases of the virus which may still be infectious in the community.

“We really need that level of confidence by having high rates of testing to allow us to ease restrictions.”

Chief Medical Officer Dr Kerry Chant reiterated the premier’s comments urging people to come forward and get tested.

“It is critical at this time in the response that we mop up any transmission chains, but also I would urge you to go about practising those COVIDSafe practices,” she said.

“Do not become complacent as we indicate no cases of community-acquired infection.”

ONE NEW LOCAL CASE IN QUEENSLAND

Queensland has recorded one new locally acquired COVID-19 case, as the state’s hotel quarantine system continues to come under fire. (See story below)

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said 10,820 tests had been carried out in the last period, and two new cases were detected in hotel quarantine.

She said an additional historical case had been detected in Cairns.

NO NEW COVID CASES IN VICTORIA

Victoria recorded no new cases of coronavirus on Friday as more than 15,000 people were tested in the past 24 hours.

Two cases were detected in the state’s hotel quarantine.

There are 28 active cases of COVID-19 across the state.

A low positive result was reported to DHHS on Thursday, however multiple follow up tests have returned negative results.

DHHS believe the results of follow up tests suggest the orginal result is either a false postive or persistent sheeding from a historic infection.

The case is not linked to a known case or known exposure site.

Healthcare workers administering a COVID-19 test at a drive through test centre at Bondi Beach yesterday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / James Gourley

WOMAN WITH UK STRAIN LEFT QUARANTINE TO VISIT HOSPITAL

A woman with the highly infectious mutant UK strain of coronavirus walked out of a Brisbane quarantine hotel to visit a hospital in an extraordinary breach that has exposed major flaws in Queensland’s COVID management.

The Daily Telegraph understands that when the woman returned to the Grand Chancellor hotel she came into contact with startled hotel staff, who had not been alerted.

The woman was in quarantine with her father after ­returning from Lebanon and both had been tested for COVID-19.

When an ambulance was called to the hotel for the ­father’s medical condition on Monday night somehow the daughter was able to leave and also o with him to the Royal Brisbane Hospital despite requiring no medical attention.

While her father remained in hospital, the woman is ­believed to have returned to the hotel via taxi or ride share.

Hotel Grand Chancellor getting transported in ambulances to other hotels. Pics Tara Croser.

Just hours later, after the woman is believed to have had contact with numerous people outside of the quarantine bubble; the pair returned a positive result for the highly infectious UK strain of the virus on day 10 of their quarantine period. They are suspected to have caught it in the hotel. It is ­unclear how the breach was allowed to occur. Queensland Health refused to answer direct questions on the incident.

Police are understood to have requested CCTV footage from multiple areas of the hotel to review how the woman was able to leave quarantine, while the investigation also aims to determine how the virus was able to spread.

In a statement, Queensland Health claimed anyone leaving the hotel via ambulance transfer was required to wear PPE. “If a patient requires transfer to hospital, they and any travelling family members, are treated as if they are COVID-19 positive and appropriate PPE protocol and measures are in place,” the statement said.

Guests in quarantine at Hotel Grand Chancellor in Brisbane were transported to other hotels. Pics Tara Croser.

The pair were the fifth and sixth positive cases of COVID-19 directly linked to the Grand Chancellor cluster.

The positive results sparked the evacuation of the hotel, with all 129 guests being forced into a further 14 days isolation at a different hotel.

The revelation comes as chief health officer Jeannette Young yesterday could not say whether all guests stayed inside their rooms, as per quarantine protocol.