Cool! The Sydney Bloke Who Sent Byron Bay Into Lockdown Apparently Didn’t ‘Believe’ In COVID

Byron Bay

It turns out the 50-year-old Sydney man who travelled to Byron Bay and later tested positive for COVID-19 basically didn’t follow any health precautions because he didn’t believe in the virus, the ABC reports.

That includes reportedly not checking into venues using QR codes, not wearing masks, and not socially distancing. Keep in mind, this is after he spent time with his COVID-positive wife down in Sydney.

“I’ve heard he didn’t believe in the virus. From what I understand, he is not cooperating,” Byron Bay Mayor Michael Lyon told the ABC on Tuesday morning.

The man apparently travelled all around the Byron, Richmond Valley, Lismore and Ballina shires, where he had been looking to buy a property since July.

However he only waited until he became sick to actually seek any medical attention, and even since then he hasn’t been cooperative with health authorities.

“He’s been evasive from all accounts, in terms of the questioning, so there is some form of suspicion as to the reasons he’s being evasive with questions, we don’t know at this stage but it’s disappointing,” Lyon told the ABC on Monday.

“When it happens because someone is complacent or negligent it’s unacceptable, it’s worse than stupidity.

“When you just don’t give a shit, that’s next level for me.”

The result of all this is the Byron Shire, Richmond Valley, City of Lismore and Ballina Shire LGAs are now in lockdown, like much of the rest of NSW, until August 17 at the soonest.

People who flout the rules are often the most vocal opponents of lockdowns. But if we want to get back normal, we’ve all got to start following some basic health precautions to help ward off what is literally a global pandemic.


All adult Aussies (yep, even if those of us under 40) are currently able to get the safe and effective AstraZeneca vaccine through a GP. Click here to see which clinics are offering it, and talk to a doctor to see if it’s right for you.

Alternatively, you can triple-check to see if you’re eligible for the Pfizer vaccine here.

The best vaccine is the first one you can get, and that’ll be our ticket out of this mess.

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