Pizza bar worker unmasked: Covidiot whose lie sparked South Australia's needless six-day coronavirus lockdown is a 36-year-old Spanish national on a temporary visa - and will NOT be fined or charged
A pizza bar worker whose lie sparked South Australia's strict six-day lockdown will not yet be fined or charged for his 'selfish actions'.
Residents across the state were needlessly stuck in their homes for three days in Australia's strictest lockdown since the pandemic began began.
Health officials believed a customer at the Woodville Pizza Bar in Adelaide had contracted the virus from a pizza box from touched by an infected worker.
This led to fears that a super strain of the virus had been unleashed in the city and the state was thrown into one of the world's toughest lockdowns at midnight on Wednesday.
Police are seen patrolling outside the Woodville Pizza Bar in Adelaide on Friday afternoon after it came to light an infected employee lied to contact tracers
Health officials believed a customer at the Woodville Pizza Bar had contracted the deadly virus after it was transmitted via a pizza box from an infected worker
However, contact tracers discovered the customer had lied and that he had actually been working at the restaurant and in close contact with another positive case.
Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said although the employee's actions had an 'unbelievable impact' on South Australians, there was no penalty for lying.
'The emergency management act requires people to provide information on request. There is no penalty for failing to truthfully answer those questions,' he said.
However, Comissioner Stevens said a taskforce had been set up to investigate any alleged criminal activity before and after advice was given by SA Health in the lead up to the lockdown.
The Taskforce Protect will determine whether any other legislation had been breached in relation to the Woodville Pizza bar worker.
Police were seen patrolling outside the restaurant on Friday afternoon amid fears the shopfront would be vandalised as tensions reached boiling point.
Many took to the restaurant's Facebook page to post vile messages, some calling for those responsible to be charged.
'How utterly ashamed you should all be. Hope you sleep well at night knowing what you've done,' one wrote.
'You lied and caused the harshest lockdown the world has seen so far .. imagine that,' another said.
'Your the worst someone can get. I hope your business shuts down forever and never sells another pizza again. Burn in hell. You knew they lied so that makes you just as bad. Adelaide's lowest of lows,' commented another.
'I really hope you all get charged. You caused an entire state to go into lockdown. You should be ashamed of yourselves.'
The restaurant's Facebook page was inundated with abuse from trolls on Friday
Contact tracers discovered that the customer – who also worked at a quarantine hotel - was in fact employed at Woodville Pizza Bar in Adelaide and worked closely with another positive case (pictured police patrol outside restaurant on Friday)
A woman in Adelaide is seen walking her dog on Friday after it was announced restrictions would be eased
Mr Marshall announced on Friday the strict lockdown imposed on the state will end three days early at midnight on Saturday, with millions of residents immediately let out to exercise.
The revelation came as the Parafield cluster, in Adelaide's northern suburbs, climbed to 25 infections - with three new cases reported on Friday.
'To say I am fuming about the actions of this individual is an absolute understatement,' Mr Marshall said.
'This selfish actions of this individual have put our whole state in a very difficult situation.
'His actions have affected businesses, individuals, family groups and is completely and utterly unacceptable.'
Commissioner Stevens revealed the positive Covid-19 case who lied to contact tracers claimed they had purchased a pizza from the restaurant.
'Where in fact they were working there and had been working there for several shifts,' he said.
Health authorities are seen testing people in cars at Victoria Park in Adelaide following outbreak in the city's northern suburbs
Premier Steven Marshall announced on Friday the strict lockdown imposed on the state, which was based on the false information, will end at midnight on Saturday
'That clearly changes the circumstances and had this person been truthful to the contact tracing teams, we would not have gone into a six-day lockdown.'
Health officials had feared that if the virus could transmit on a pizza box from worker to customer, it could be a new, super strain of the disease.
But in fact, the two men came into close contact with each other as they both worked at the takeaway, meaning it could easily transmit between them in the usual way.
Health authorities could not elaborate on the man and his specific reasons for lying.
South Australia will revert to a series of similar restrictions imposed at the beginning of the week from midnight on Saturday.
Venues are allowed to have 100 guests, with one person per four square metres and table bookings limited to 10.
Funerals will restart with 50 people in attendance, while weddings can host 150 guests. There will be no dancing.
Religious ceremonies will be restricted to 100 people and 10 people can come together for private gatherings.
Masks are mandatory for hairdressers and beauty therapists but residents will no longer be required to wear a face covering when in public.
Gyms will also open as restrictions ease at 11.59pm on Saturday and students will return to school on Monday.
From Friday, households will now be allowed to exercise in groups.
ESSENTIAL WORKERS WHO CAN LEAVE THEIR HOME DURING SOUTH AUSTRALIA'S LOCKDOWN
The updated list includes: