Drug injecting centre in Melbourne is hit by coronavirus outbreak - as it’s revealed up to 300 meth and heroin zombies flout the city’s lockdown to shoot up there every day
- A controversial injecting room in Melbourne has been hit with COVID-19 cases
- The two cases at the North Richmond facility were recorded on August 10 and 17
- Large groups were seen gathering near a North Richmond safe injecting room
- Resident said those injecting in the street appeared to be 'immune' to lockdown
A controversial injecting room in Melbourne has been forced to close after the centre recorded two positive coronavirus cases.
The two cases at the North Richmond facility were recorded on August 10 and 17.
The centre was closed on both occasions for deep cleaning to be undertaken but is understood to have opened up again as it's considered a life-saving health service.
Up to 300 addicts are said to be travelling to the legal drug injecting facility every day.
The announcement of the new cases comes just days after residents raised concern over how many people were gathering outside the facility to shoot up during the city's strict COVID-19 lockdown.
A man with at least five syringes in his syringe kit next to him is seen by a resident on Sunday
The two cases at the North Richmond facility (pictured) were recorded on August 10 and 17. The centre was closed on both occasions for deep cleaning to be undertaken
In a flagrant disregard for lockdown rules preventing no more than two people from gathering outside at once, witnesses reported as many as 20 people congregating in a park for a birthday party.
One man said those injecting in the street appeared to be 'immune' to the lockdown and the rules did not apply to them.
'We're in a stage 4 lockdown and they act as if nothing is happening – they could be the ones spreading the virus for all we know,' the resident told NCA News Wire.
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'We've seen syringes and human faeces in the streets. Children live around here, it's disgraceful – we're supposed to be minimising the risk of spreading disease.'
One photo shared to a local social media group campaigning to have the injecting room moved showed a syringe discarded in a children's playground.
One residents said the facility felt was 'like a bomb waiting to go off' because of the relaxed rules.
She said there was a lack of mask wearing and lack of social distancing.
A large gathering is pictured outside a safe injecting room in North Richmond in Melbourne's inner-east. Locals have complained about groups congregating in high numbers outside the facility not wearing masks
Witnesses reported as many as 20 people congregating in a park for a birthday party near the inner-city injecting room
Melbourne's lockdown sees residents banned from leaving their homes during the curfew from 8pm to 5am.
But the facility has been able to stay open until 9pm on weeknights.
Mental Health Minister Martin Foley said the facility would stay opening during the strict lockdown as it is a health facility which is helping to save lives.
'The facility plays an important role in slowing the spread of coronavirus in the North Richmond community as many of its clients would not otherwise have access to screening, testing, face masks and important public health messages,' he told The Herald Sun.
Pictured: Syringes left discarded in North Richmond. The suburb has its own bespoke safe injecting room where drug users can shoot up under supervision
In a flagrant disregard for lockdown rules preventing no more than two people from gathering outside at once, witnesses reported as many as 20 people congregating in a park for a birthday party
The state government has re-assured residents 'high-visibility' patrols are in place to target crime and catch those violating public health laws enforcing the use of face masks.
In June, mother Charlotte Spencer-Roy revealed she regularly found people using drugs in the laneway beside her North Richmond home.
Her nine-year-old son, Angus, was traumatised after discovering a man who had apparently overdosed laying unconscious outside their home just 10 minutes from the injecting room.
'He said ''mummy, mummy there's a dead body'',' Ms Spencer-Roy told Nine News at the time.
Ms Spencer-Roy opened her door as two men scrambled to pick up their drug paraphernalia.
