'Living up to his name': The Project hosts take a cheeky swipe at Brad Hazzard as they mock the health minister's bizarre statements that 'your homes are the most dangerous place' in 'dramatic' Covid advice
- NSW health minister was ridiculed and under fire over bizarre health comments
- Brad Hazzard claimed most dangerous place for getting Covid is in own home
- Discouraged being intimate or affectionate with others outside your household
- Mr Hazzard copped public backlash and was mocked on The Project over claims
A state health minister has been mercilessly mocked on national television for his stern and 'over dramatic' advice for residents impacted by the latest coronavirus lockdown.
Millions of Sydneysiders and residents in surrounding regions remain under stay at home orders as the latest outbreak from the city's eastern suburbs surges past 220 cases.
With no word yet on whether the two week lockdown will end as planned at midnight Friday, NSW health minister Brad Hazzard raised eyebrows with the claim that we're no longer safe from the highly contagious Indian Delta strain of the virus in our own homes with a reference from Australian movie classic The Castle.
He also warned affected residents to not get too intimate or affectionate to those not living in their household, sparking bewilderment on The Project on Sunday night.
Health minister Brad Hazzard (pictured) offered some stern Covid advice on Sunday
'Right now the most dangerous place is actually our homes,' Mr Hazzard told reporters at Sunday's Covid update.
'Aussies tend to think of their home as their castle. But right now it can be Covid central.'
'There is only one reason why you should be leaving your home at the present time, and that is caring for somebody who needs that care.
His comments were mocked on Channel Ten's The Project as co-host Nazeem Hussain described the claims as 'slightly over dramatic.'
'Really? Brad Hazzard living up to his name! Thanks, great to know that. Nowhere is friggin safe!' the comedian remarked as amused co-hosts Lisa Wilkinson and Peter van Onselen struggled to contain their composure.
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The minister's comments left The Project co-host Lisa Wilkinson (pictured) amused
Panllelist Jan Fran added: 'What does he want us to do if their homes become Covid central? Where do we go?'
The program then aired more unusually intimate follow-up advice from Mr Hazzard.
'If you do have the need to go to someone's home, it would be very wise for you to avoid kissing, cuddling, closeness, any proximity at all,' he claimed.
'It could mean this virus can get you and spread it then to others when you leave that house.'
The comments sparked laughter and ridicule from The Project panelists.
'What does he want us to do if their homes become Covid central? Where do we go?' Jan Fran (pictured) asked
'Yeah, that was health minister and sexologist Brad Hazzard,' Hussain quipped.
Wilkinson added: 'So it used, "darling, I've got a headache".
'Now it's "I've got a Hazzard".'
The minister also copped a barrage of public backlash and mockery online.
'We’re ordering you to stay at home, that’s the most dangerous place right now, it’s Covid central… we all clear & feel good about lockdown? FFS,' one woman tweeted.
Another person added: If that's the case why are you EXPOSING people to that via LOCKDOWN?'
Mr Hazzard's latest comments come after a day he publicly branded conspiracy theory activists 'wackos' and begged the public to ignore them.
The Project's Peter van Onselen (pictured) was also bewildered by the minister's comments
'We are deep in a war with this virus,' he said on Saturday.
'When you're in a war, you don't win it with wacko views.'
'And we can't win this war unless the community are all with us, absolutely. Unfortunately, we're seeing that some people think it's okay not to wear masks.
'Wear a mask and don't get caught up in the wacko views some are expressing.'
NSW recorded 16 new cases on Sunday, a day after the state recorded its highest daily spike in more than a year with 35.
