Unmasked: Video reveals removalists’ Covid delivery

Damning footage reveals how Sydney removalists brazenly went unmasked and broke the rules at a Melbourne apartment block, plunging Victoria into lockdown. Watch the clip.

The moment unmasked New South Wales removalists delivered Covid’s deadly Delta strain to Victoria, plunging 6.7 million people into lockdown, has emerged.

Damning footage reveals the trio of removalists brazenly breaching conditions of their special worker permits as they load furniture on to trucks outside Maribyrnong’s Ariele Apartments on July 8.

The men failed to wear masks or socially distance as they came into close contact with residents of the now-locked down complex.

Four residents were infected before they unwittingly spread the virus to dozens of others, including elderly parents, students and spectators at the MCG and AAMI Park.

Channel 7 screengrabs of CCTV footage show the removalists at the Ariele Apartments in Maribyrnong.

The removalists failed to wear masks or socially distance.

Residents reacted angrily to the footage on Wednesday night, saying the trio’s “extremely selfish” behaviour had taken a heavy toll.

Cherryll Scott, who had been in a lift packed with furniture and carried by two of the removalists, said she was “really annoyed”.

“When I saw the removalists unloading the furniture I noticed they weren’t wearing any masks,” she said. “Luckily I had my mask on. I have tested negative twice since then.

“When I found out (the removalists) were the reason behind our quarantine, I thought you’ve got to be kidding.

“But there’s nothing I can do about it. We just have to wait it out now.”

Resident Sameer, who runs a cafe in Melbourne’s CBD, said he was “completely lost for words” as he sat idle during quarantine.

“I’ve got to pay rent for two places and I’m stuck here at home,” he said.

On Tuesday, another crew of removalists from NSW were fined and turned away after they were caught attempting to enter the state through Mildura without a valid permit.

Health Minister Martin Foley said: “I don’t know what it is with NSW removalists, but let that be a lesson that if you break the rules there are consequences”.

Victoria’s latest Covid outbreak grew to 107 cases on Wednesday, including 96 infections that can be traced to the removalists.

The removalists sparked the latest outbreak in Victoria.

Residents from Ariele Apartments expressed their disbelief at the footage.

Victoria’s latest Covid outbreak grew to 107 cases on Wednesday.

There are fears Victoria’s daily case numbers could still soar.

As the state entered the second week of lockdown five, chief health officer Brett Sutton predicted it had reached its peak number of infectious cases in the community.

But he warned daily case numbers could still soar.

“I’m confident that this is going in the right direction, I think we’re on track in terms of getting control of this,” Prof Sutton said.

“But (the Delta strain) is a variant that takes off from dozens to thousands of cases within just a matter of weeks.

“It’s very hard to demonstrate what you’re avoiding, but I think we’d be in a world of hurt over coming weeks if we hadn’t done what we’ve done.”

Prof Sutton said he suspected more household contacts of confirmed cases would test positive in coming days.

Just six of the 22 new cases had been out in the community, their exposure sites limited by the lockdown.

“Two days ago, there were only 6 per cent of our daily cases who were fully isolating in quarantine. Today it is 73 per cent which have been fully isolated during their period of infectivity,” Mr Foley said.

“That is something that should give us all a degree of confidence and hope that this response is working.”

The new cases include two spectators from AAMI Park, who sat near an infected rugby fan, five more people linked to Cremorne restaurant Ms Frankie, and three new workplace contacts of a confirmed case at Young & Jackson.

Five more people linked to the Trinity Grammar cluster – including a staff member and two students – tested positive, as did two students and a household contact from St Patrick’s Primary in Murrumbeena, and two household contacts linked to Bacchus Marsh Grammar.

The other cases are a West Gate Tunnel worker – who came into contact with a positive V/Line employee last Thursday – and a family contact of Tuesday’s “mystery case”.

That case, a woman in her 20s, has since been epidemiologically linked to the City of Hume household cluster.

The number of active cases across the state has spiked to 107 across nine days — much faster than the month it took to reach that figure in previous outbreaks.

Five people are in hospital, including a man in his 50s – linked to the Barwon Heads cluster – in intensive care at University Hospital Geelong.

Barwon South West Public Health Unit director Professor Eugene Athan said the man remained in a critical but stable condition.

Prof Sutton said there was a greater risk of people being hospitalised with Delta, adding that more people would likely be admitted to ICU.