‘Bored is better than intensive care’: Dan Andrews’ dig at ‘Karen from Brighton’

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has taken a subtle swipe at a ‘bored’ Melbourne woman who went viral.

‘I’ve done all of Brighton,’ a Melbourne woman declared in comments that have since gone viral. Picture: Nine News

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has made a subtle dig at a Melbourne woman who shot to social media fame after telling a reporter she was sick of walking the same streets and declaring “I’ve done all of Brighton”.

The woman appeared in a Nine News broadcast this week, interviewed about new coronavirus restrictions banning unreasonable travel for exercise as she walked with a friend at The Tan in Melbourne’s CBD.

“Well, you get sick of walking the same streets,” she said. “You know, I’ve done all of Brighton.”

Unbelievable scenes. @DanielAndrewsMP just 100% destroying Karen from Brighton. pic.twitter.com/Tlk7Iku2r2

— Keegs (@keegs) July 18, 2020

More than 300,000 people have viewed the clip, attached to a viral tweet captioned “Actually just spat my f**king beer”. The woman was widely criticised and given the mocking nickname “Karen from Brighton”.

On Saturday, as Victoria notched up a further 217 confirmed cases of COVID-19, Mr Andrews issued a “very clear message” to the people of his state.

“I’ve got a very clear message to every single Victorian, particularly some of those featured in social media: whether you’re in Broadmeadows or Brighton, stay at home means stay at home,” he said.

“And if walking your local streets is boring, well, being bored is much better than being in intensive care. That’s my clear message.”

ANDREWS ATTACKS BRIGHTON.@DanielAndrewsMP has taken a nasty swing at Brighton - another example of the Premier attacking Victorians.

His government has a track record of neglecting my community and now sneers at it.

What a creep.#SpringSt

— James Newbury MP (@newbury3186) July 18, 2020

Brighton MP James Newbury took offence at the comment, accusing Mr Andrews of “neglecting” Brighton and now sneering at it. Under Victoria’s lockdown, Melburnians and residents of the Mitchell shire are able to leave their homes for food, exercise, work or education and caregiving responsibilities, but cannot travel unreasonably for these activities.