Police investigate man who brought Covid to Byron Bay and ‘didn’t believe in virus’

NSW Police are ‘looking closely’ at a Covid-positive man who travelled from Sydney, is being ‘evasive’ with contact tracers and refused to use QR codes to check into venues.

NSW health minister Brad Hazzard says police are investigating a Covid-positive man who travelled to Byron Bay.

The man, whose two children have since tested positive according to the town’s mayor, is believed to have been seeking out new property to purchase.

Mr Hazzard refused to answer questions about the traveller, but said the police were “looking extremely closely at what he was doing in that area”.

The mayor of Byron Bay meanwhile has made a bombshell claim about the man who brought Covid to the region, accusing him of not believing in the virus.

Mayor Michael Lyon said the Covid-positive man travelled to Byron Bay alongside his two teenage children to stay at a property in the beachside town.

Mr Lyon said he understood the man’s two teenage children had also tested positive to Covid-19 and were isolating in Byron Bay.

The mayor claimed the man did not use QR codes to check into any businesses in the area and had not co-operated with health authorities.

Mr Lyon described the situation as a “nightmare”.

“We’re going through trying to list all exposure sites and work out where he’s been, and he hasn’t been signing in and using QR codes, any of that … doesn’t believe in it, it’s a nightmare,” he told the ABC on Monday night.

“It’s been very difficult for police and health authorities to track down where he’s been, it’s ridiculous.

“You have to wonder what people are thinking when it comes to a situation like this.”

A nurse at the Covid clinic in Byron prepares for the day ahead. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Scott Powick

The infected man is now being treated at the local hospital.

But his infection has triggered a week-long lockdown for the region, which included Richmond Valley, Lismore and Ballina local government areas.

The region joins other rural areas including Tamworth and Armidale which have also been plunged into lockdowns of their own.

Byron Bay’s lockdown is due to end at 12.01am on Tuesday, August 17.

Everyone who lives in the LGA or anyone who has been there since July 31 will be subject to the same rules as those living in Greater Sydney and the other locked down areas in regional NSW.

“We understand this is a difficult time for the community and appreciate their ongoing patience and co-operation,” NSW Health said in a statement.

Pop up testing clinics have been established in Byron Bay. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Scott Powick

“We are asking people not to seek exceptions to the rules, but to ensure they comply with them so we do not see further cases of COVID-19 in the community.”

Ballina Shire Council mayor David Wright said on Monday residents had been expecting the lockdown after the NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant made the announcement about the infectious man on Monday morning.

“Before the (lockdown) was announced, already at the local supermarket there was no bread or meat or anything left,” he said.

Mr Wright said locals had “always feared” someone visiting the region – a popular holiday destination known for its laid back lifestyle – while infectious with Covid-19.

“We'll just have to change what we’re doing and we’ve been very lucky so far. There are a lot of elderly people here and I just hope we can cope with that.”

Hazzard looks to tighten up ‘holiday house’ rules

Mr Hazzard meanwhile said he has spoken to the health department’s legal team to “tighten up” current health orders that permit citizens to move between their places of residence.

Public health orders permit Sydneysiders to move between multiple homes they own, with questions being raised as to whether the rule applied to people who owned holiday houses.

Mr Hazzard said the rule remained, but did not apply to people in greater Sydney who wanted to go on holiday.

“The issue is that it is difficult in regards to houses in different areas but examples would be if you had a doctor who lived in Sydney but also went to somewhere in the regions for three days a week or five days a week if you had another house there,” he said.

“Having said that, I said to a legal department to look at what we can do to tighten it up as

far as possible.

“Clearly, the rules now that you shouldn’t just travel from one house to another for the sake of moving to the other house. Choose the property you are living in and stay there.

“What worries me is no matter what legal orders or requirements are in place, you can’t legislate against stupidity, arrogance and entitlement.”

Mr Hazzard said “people will still try to do it” but asked people to apply “an element of common sense and a modicum of decency.”

NSW recorded 356 new infections on Tuesday.