'She started ranting and raving': 'Pet shop Karen' breathes on staff after refusing to wear a mask in Melbourne

A woman dubbed 'pet shop Karen' refused to wear a mask and breathed on workers in defiance of coronavirus regulations.

Fish and Feather in Kilsyth, east of Melbourne's CBD, shared a picture of the woman taken on CCTV when she visited the store on Sunday afternoon.

The owner claimed that she entered without wearing a mask and was rude to staff from the outset.

She was asked to wear a protective face mask in order to be served, but manager Naomi Lawlor claims the woman yelled 'no'.

Fish and Feather in Kilsyth, east of Melbourne's CBD, shared a still image from CCTV when the woman visited the store on the weekend

'She started ranting and raving that she didn't have COVID and doesn't need to wear a mask,' Ms Lawlor told the Lilydale and Yarra Valley Leader.

Instead, the woman 'deliberately breathed on a staff member' before she left the store.

Not wearing a face mask without an exemption and deliberately breathing or coughing on others is punishable by a fine under new COVID-19 legislation.

The Fish and Feather owner also revealed they knew the woman's name and address.

After she was refused service, the woman is accused of ringing the store repeatedly and hanging up when they finally answered the phone.

The childish prank meant the store was able to find out exactly who she was by tracing the phone number she called from.

'Take note of caller ID,' a post shared on Facebook from the mum-and-dad store read.

' number ends in 227, you're in the white pages and you live more than 5km away.'

It is an offence to travel more than 5km from your home in Melbourne under current coronavirus restrictions, which were implemented to stem the spread of the second wave.

The woman also signed into the guest room when she arrived.   

The owner claimed that she entered without wearing a mask and was rude to staff from the outset

Customers who visit the family-owned pet store expressed disappointment in the woman for putting staff and other customers at risk.

The overwhelming majority said they hoped she would be caught and fined for appearing to flout coronavirus restrictions.  

The store claimed police have been made aware of the incident and have indicated that they will follow up on the claims. 

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Victoria Police for comment. 

What is a 'Karen'? 

A 'Karen' is a newly-emerged term for a self-righteous woman, usually middle-aged, who tells people how to do their jobs, asserts their rights and complains to the manager.  

The origins of the term are unclear, however it quickly became popular in meme culture on internet forums such as Reddit to describe problematic women.

A Karen meme is often combined with the quote: 'Can I speak to the manager?' 

It is also associated with anti-vaccination activists who favour unproven essential oils to medical science. 

The 'Karen' was also associated with a side-swept bob haircut that is long at the front and short at the back.   

Victoria recorded six new cases of COVID-19 overnight and two more deaths from the virus - but the figures may still not be low enough to justify a further easing of restrictions in Melbourne.

The 14-day rolling average in metropolitan Melbourne decreased to 9.9 from 10.6 on Wednesday, while the number of cases with an unknown source fell from 13 to 12.

The Andrews government has though set an ambitious target of a rolling two-week average of just five cases a day if lockdown is to be eased by October 19. 

Under stage-three restriction easing, Melbourne's five million residents would be allowed to leave the home without restraint and gather outdoors in groups of up to 10 people.

Up to 10 people would also be able to eat together at restaurants and cafes - both of which are only allowed to serve takeaway and delivery under the current rules.

The state's Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton said on Monday easing restrictions too soon would risk Victoria losing control over 'mystery cases'.

Regional Victoria has already moved from the second to the third step of removing restrictions on September 15 but Melbourne can only do so if the targets are met.