Coronavirus: thousands refuse testing in Australia as conspiracy theories thwart containment efforts

Health officials in the southern state of Victoria pleaded with the public to get tested for Covid-19 and to ignore disinformation propagating online

More than 10,000 people in Melbourne, the country’s second-biggest city, have refused testing despite surging case numbers

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Health workers speak to a resident of the Melbourne suburb of Brunswick West as they encourage people to take coronavirus tests. Photo: AFP

Published: 1:54pm, 3 Jul 2020Updated: 2:36pm, 3 Jul 2020

Coronavirus conspiracy theories are hampering frantic efforts to contain a steep spike in cases around the city of Melbourne, where more than 10,000 people have refused testing, Australian health authorities warned on Friday.

Health officials in the southern state of Victoria pleaded with the public to get themselves tested for Covid-19 and to ignore disinformation propagating online.

Having dodged the worst ravages of the pandemic and eased most lockdown restrictions, Australia is now struggling to contain several clusters around its second-biggest city that are delivering dozens of new cases each day.

“Disappointingly however we have had more than 10,000 people who have refused to be tested,” health minister Jenny Mikakos said.

Police pull vehicles aside at a checkpoint in the locked down suburb of Broadmeadows in Melbourne on July 2. Photo: AFP

Officials were still analysing the reasons given for refusing testing, but Mikakos said: “The report that I have received is that some people believe that coronavirus is a conspiracy, or that it won’t impact on them.”