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Police charge son of Byron Bay COVID-denier

Two men have now been charged over the coronavirus cases that sparked Byron Bay's snap lockdown.

Two men have now been charged over the coronavirus cases that sparked Byron Bay's snap lockdown.

The son of the man accused of bringing COVID to Byron Bay after leaving Sydney’s lockdown to travel to the northern rivers region has been charged with breaching public health orders.

NSW Police said on Friday they had charged a 19-year-old man with failing to comply with public health orders, two counts of failing to use QR check-ins and failing to wear a face mask on shared transport.

He is due to appear at Byron Bay Local Court on September 27.

Zoran Radovanovic, 52, was earlier this week charged with breaching public health orders after allegedly visiting Byron Bay in July without a reasonable excuse and circulating in the area.

Police allege he left his Rose Bay home to travel to the holiday region with his two children, but without a reasonable excuse and in defiance of public health orders banning travel from greater Sydney while it is in lockdown.

Allegedly, none of the trio complied with QR check-ins and other measures while in the northern rivers region, making contact tracing difficult for authorities.

“I’ve heard he didn’t believe in the virus. From what I understand, he is not co-operating,” Byron Bay Mayor Michael Lyon said on Tuesday.

NSW authorities have since named several local exposure sites. Details can be found here.

Mr Radovanovic was charged on Wednesday and is due to appear in Lismore Local Court on September 13.

“Police will allege the 19-year-old Rose Bay man travelled from Sydney to the Byron Bay area in company of the 52-year-old Rose Bay man,” NSW Police said on Friday.

NSW Health authorities confirmed earlier in the week that both of the man’s children had also been diagnosed with the virus.

The local government areas of Byron Bay, Richmond Valley, Lismore and Ballina were sent into a seven-day lockdown after the cases emerged.

No further cases of coronavirus have been diagnosed in the area so far.

On Thursday, Burnet Institute epidemiologist Mike Toole said that was surprising – but could still change.

“We have seen examples of people testing positive on day nine or 10, or even longer, like we saw with the Newcastle beach party,” Professor Toole said.

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