I’m a Celebrity: Crew member blamed for sending thousands of Australians into lockdown

The reality TV show I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! is facing criticism after one of the show’s make-up artists was blamed for sending thousands of Australians into quarantine, after she tested positive for Covid-19.

The 31-year-old woman reportedly contracted the virus after travelling to New South Wales from Sydney to work on the Australian version of the show.

She was carrying an exemption that allowed her to travel for work-related purposes only, according to ABC News.

While working, the crew member allegedly visited shops, restaurants, and cafes in Byron Bay without checking in using her QR code, breaching the conditions of her work-related travel exemption.

She later tested positive for coronavirus, sparking a seven-day lockdown of the Tweed and Byron Shires areas.

The woman has been charged for multiple breaches of public health orders.

According to lockdown rules in Australia, people who have travelled from Sydney, which is still in lockdown, have to stay in their homes when they are not working.

Queensland also closed its borders to those areas at 1 am on Wednesday (22 September).

In a statement, ITV told ABC News that the crew member in question was “fully vaccinated and was wearing PPE while at work”.

The incident has sparked widespread criticism on social media.

A member of the New South Wales parliament, Catherine Cusack, said that she was “devastated” by the lockdown, and called on the state’s health minister Brad Hazzard to resign.

“I am devastated to learn the lockdown of Byron and Tweed LGAs triggered by a so-called “essential worker” closing businesses, schools, and ruining cross-border progress. 100 per cent OUTRAGEOUS! Brad Hazzard massive fail – RESIGN!” Cusack wrote.

“It is so devastating to be in lockdown again and it is clear the ‘honour’ system relied on by the State Government is deeply flawed,” Byron Shire Mayor Michael Lyon wrote on Facebook.

“It is worth noting that people coming here for work don’t actually have to show a negative Covid test, this was thankfully part of the filming protocol that allowed this early detection. Perhaps our calls for a tightening of restrictions will now finally be heeded.”

He added that he was looking to rescind his council’s approval for the filming of Love Island.

The Australian version of I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! is being filmed in the country for the first time.

The UK version is going to be filmed in Wales for the second time, after it was set there for last year’s series.

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