Cops ‘furious’ over exposure to protester sick with Covid

Police officers who tackled a Covid positive man at this week’s anti-lockdown protests are furious they have been exposed to the virus.

Anti-lockdown protesters take to the streets of Melbourne on Wednesday. Picture: Jason Edwards

Police officers who arrested a Covid positive man at an illegal lockdown rally are “furious” they have been exposed to the virus.

The Herald Sun understands the protester, now being treated in hospital, was tackled by multiple officers before being arrested during Wednesday’s anti-lockdown rally.

Sources said frontline police officers were angry they had been exposed to the dangerous Delta strain and were now forced to quarantine.

Victoria Police refused to comment on how many officers had been identified as close contacts.

Construction workers protest at The Shrine of Remembrance. Picture: Alex Coppel.

“The officers involved have been informed to get tested and isolate,” a Victoria Police spokesperson said.

“For operational reasons, numbers will not be provided on how many officers were placed into quarantine as a precautionary measure.

“Victoria Police’s priority first and foremost is to ensure the safety of its people and the community.

“The community can be assured that service delivery to the public will remain unaffected during this time.”

SUPERSPREADER FEAR AS PROTESTER IN HOSPITAL

A Covid-infected protester who was taken to hospital just hours after taking part in ­Wednesday’s unrest has sparked fears of a super­spreader outbreak.

The Department of Health on Thursday night confirmed a person who attended Wednesday’s anti-lockdown, anti-vaccine mandate protests – which descended on the Shrine of Remembrance – had tested positive to the virus.

“Public health investigations are under way,” a department spokeswoman said.

“We are urging protesters to get tested should they experience Covid-like symptoms, no matter how mild.”

It is not yet known if the case will force hundreds of police officers deployed to control the mob into isolation, but leading epidemiologists have warned the out-of-control riots could fast become a superspreader event.

It comes as Victoria’s Covid-19 cases spiked to ­record numbers.

A man with Covid was among the masses at Wednesday’s rally. Picture: Con Chronis

The state on Thursday ­reported 766 local infections – a significant jump from 628 on Wednesday.

It is the highest daily figure since the pandemic began, ­surpassing the 725 cases – later reclassified to 687 – recorded during the catastrophic second wave in early August last year.

Former World Health ­Organisation epidemiologist Professor Adrian Esterman said protests in Melbourne may have contributed to Thursday’s sharp spike.

“With thousands of people there shouting, many of whom weren’t wearing masks, I can almost guarantee there’d be at least a few infected people there,” Prof Esterman told the Herald Sun.

“It could well be that none of the infected people in the march are superspreaders, but you could be very unlucky that one of them was, and all of a sudden you’re dealing with a really significant new outbreak.”

Deakin University Chair of Epidemiology Catherine Bennett said there was a major risk the Covid-infected protester could spark a large outbreak.

“We know unfortunately that Delta can be shared outdoors, it wasn’t a particularly windy day on Wednesday,” she said.

“You’re standing around in the same space, let alone shouting out and cheering. If they went to the protest and had symptoms, then that is a real worry.”

Protesters swarmed The Shrine of Remembrance during Wednesday’s rally. Picture: Alex Coppel.

Professor Bennett also raised concerns that protesters’ ­unwillingness to get tested would allow the virus to spread undetected in the community for weeks.

“We’re only going to know about these cases if someone is unwell enough and has to go to hospital,” she said.

“The worry is that people might develop symptoms over the next few days but not test.

“We’ll probably know in a couple of weeks if people do have the virus and don’t get tested, as it takes a while before it comes to the surface … it can take a few generations to spread out.”

Professor Nancy Baxter, an epidemiologist and head of Melbourne University’s School of Population and Global Health, said it was too soon to tell the full impact of the protests.

“There may well be considerable spread related to the protests,” she said.

Four more people – aged between 70 and 90 – died on Thursday, bringing the total number of deaths with Covid-19 this year to 20.

In 2020, 820 people – largely elderly Victorians – died with the virus, after it seeped into aged care facilities before a vaccine was available.

Victoria’s outbreak appears to have grown faster than NSW’s, despite the state locking down harder and faster.

Hundreds of people marched through Melbourne as part of the protest. Picture: David Crosling

Premier Daniel Andrews on Thursday said lockdown ­fatigue was a likely factor as to why case numbers were rapidly growing.

“They didn’t go through what we went through last year,” he said. “I think fatigue in our communities is a very real thing, I’m not excusing bad behaviour but I’m trying to explain it.”

The Premier also cast doubt over whether the state would reach its 80 per cent single dose target by Sunday, with 75.35 per cent of Victorians aged over 15 having had a jab as of yesterday.

At that point Melbourne’s travel limit would expand to 15km and outdoor ­recreation, such as golf and tennis, would be allowed.

Mr Andrews said it would depend on how many people “go out and get the dose”.

“We got to 70 per cent a little bit earlier than predicted, let’s wait and see how we go,” he said.

More than half of Thursday’s cases were linked to household transmission, prompting deputy chief health officer Deb Friedman to warn against illegal gatherings over the long ­weekend. “We urge people to use the day off to instead get vaccinated,” she said.

Meanwhile, calls are growing for Geelong and the Surf Coast to be released from lockdown, after Point Lonsdale was given a reprieve on Thursday.

“The state government’s decision to pick favourites and release Point Lonsdale … from lockdown appears to have been driven more by bad headlines than any changed public health advice,” ­Liberal Victorian ­senator Sarah ­Henderson said.

Originally published as Cops ‘furious’ over exposure to protester sick with Covid