COVID Positive Man Arrested In Sydney For Being On The Run For 2 Weeks, Refusing To Isolate

A 27-year-old man, who allegedly evaded cops and health officials after contracting coronavirus, will spend a month in prison before he next appears in court.

On Thursday, he was arrested at a Wentworth Point unit in Australia. He was led out outside wearing a mask, gown and face visor. The news of his arrest was also shared by the NSW (New South Wales) Police Force on Twitter.

According to News.com.au, Anthony Karam has been charged with 13 offences, including several alleged breaches of the Public Health Order.

Health authorities had told him that he had tested positive for COVID-19 on Aug. 14, and was ordered to self-isolate. He allegedly refused to take calls from health officials who then informed police, but when they tried to visit his house, they allegedly found the address he gave was fake. After several attempts to find him, police issued a warrant for his arrest.

According to The Daily Telegraph, cops alleged they contacted him through a third party and thought they had negotiated a deal to bring him in off the streets, but they claimed the deal couldn't happen, which in turn led to a renewed manhunt for him.

CCTV footage of Karam showed him coughing while he was in a lift of an apartment block. Karam was described as “public health enemy number one" by a police spokeswoman. The spokeswoman said, “He is not only a danger to the community but to himself as he is sick and can be seen coughing when he was last seen in an apartment block."

After he was caught, Karam told the media that he had done nothing wrong, and that he had been isolating the whole time.

Prior to his arrest, New South Wales chief health officer Kerry Chant issued a statement saying that Karam was infected, and warned people to avoid contact with him.

On Friday, Karam, who was also charged with nine counts of not wearing a fitted face covering in the indoor area of a common property, faced the Bankstown Local Court, and made no application for bail. He will return to the court on Sept. 23, reported 9 News.