'How dare you': Furious Lauren Phillips blasts 'selfish' engagement party guests and says Melbourne's Covid rule-breakers 'make me sick to my stomach'
Melbourne radio host Lauren Phillips has unleashed on Covid rule-breakers, saying scenes of residents partying without masks on made her physically sick.
The KIIS 101.1 presenter, 34, said the families who flouted lockdown by attending an allegedly illegal engagement party recently had left her simmering with rage.
'Last night, when I heard the story about a family thinking it was acceptable to throw an engagement party for what is believed to be around a hundred people, I felt sick to my stomach,' she told her co-host Jase Hawkins on Tuesday.
Furious: Melbourne radio host Lauren Phillips has unleashed on Covid rule-breakers, saying scenes of residents partying without masks on made her physically sick
Two people at the party are believed to have since tested positive to Covid-19.
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The potential super-spreader event - as well as an organised pub crawl in Richmond - sparked a two-week extension of the current lockdown and a 9pm-5am curfew.
Phillips added: 'How dare you? There are people who can't see their dying relatives.'
Epic spray: The KIIS 101.1 presenter, 34, said the families who flouted lockdown by attending an allegedly illegal engagement party recently had left her simmering with rage
'There are people like you, Jase, who can't go across the border to say goodbye to their dad,' she added.
Hawkins had revealed in June his father in Queensland had terminal cancer as a result of exposure to asbestos from his years working as a tradesman.
'There are people missing the most important moments of their lives, and these people selfishly think they're more important than everybody else,' Phillips said.
Unimpressed: Lauren said on air, 'How dare you? There are people who cannot see their dying relatives.' Pictured right is the allegedly illegal event
'I am, like so many people across Melbourne, so furious.'
One of those people enraged at the Covidiots was none other than Victorian Premier Dan Andrews, who blasted the gathering in his press conference on Monday.
The politician's fury over the allegedly illegal Melbourne engagement party boiled over in an unprecedented foul-mouthed outburst.
Affected: 'There are people like you Jase, who can't go across the border to say goodbye to their dad,' said Phillips. Her co-host Jase Hawkins (pictured) had revealed in June his father in Queensland had terminal cancer as a result of long-term exposure to asbestos
In uncharacteristically blunt comments, he lashed out at anyone who had attended the party and fumed on Monday they had made 's***ty choices'.
'Every time even a small number of people make really bad choices, selfish choices, it takes away from the hard work that so many millions more are doing,' he said.
'They are s***ty choices and they keep us all locked down for longer than we should be.
'It extends these lockdowns because it makes it more likely that we will have more cases.'
Fuming: Dan Andrews' fury over the alleged illegal Melbourne engagement party boiled over in an unprecedented foul-mouthed outburst from the Victorian premier (pictured)
Mr Andrews admitted he didn't want to use the offensive term, but added: 'I'd like to use lots of other words but I won't.'
Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said police were investigating the engagement party and expected to fine every adult attendee.
He added: 'If you take off a few for each child, that's going to be over $350,000 worth of fines. That's an expensive engagement party.'
Restrictions: The potential super-spreader event - as well as an organised pub crawl in Richmond - sparked a two-week extension of the current lockdown and a 9pm-5am curfew. Pictured: a woman walking her dog in locked-down Melbourne on Monday
The alleged illegal engagement party drew more than 69 guests, with video revealing them laughing at the lockdown laws they were flouting.
The groom-to-be is seen in the footage bragging about the party's shady status.
'Clearly this is legal because this is a group therapy session,' he jokes, standing next to his bride-to-be as the packed room erupts in laughter.
'That's why my father's here!'
One of the revellers shouts: 'He's a mental health clinician!'
Footage: A newly engaged couple are at the centre of the scandal in Melbourne after footage emerged (pictured) showing the groom-to-be joking about the gathering during lockdown
Video: In shocking footage shared online by someone at the party, huge groups of friends and family are seen mingling without masks at the party held mid-week in Melbourne
Every one of the guests will now be traced, interviewed and tested, said the premier, as he blasted the guests for adding to contact tracers' workload.
'The fact is there has been transmission at that event,' he said. 'The only question is whether it will be a super-spreader event, it's already a transmission event.
'Our contact tracers who are working their guts out for all of us will have to spend literally thousands of hours dealing with hundreds and thousands of people connected to that engagement party.
'That is the work that they must do, but it is all entirely preventable. That is what makes me angry and disappointed.
'That's what events like that cost all of us ... I'm angry about that event.'
Mr Andrews (pictured) fumed at the 'selfish' and s***ty choices' behind the engagement party that would could prolong the lockdown even longer
He also snapped at reports the partygoers had become victims, after some claimed to have been targeted online over the gathering.
'Seriously,' said Mr Andrews. 'Seriously. They have done the wrong thing and people have views about that, especially when so many are doing the right thing.
'This is not the Jewish community. This is not an act of faith. This is not part of any cultural practice. This is just bad behaviour.
'How many engagements have postponed? How many meetings haven't happened, how many funerals haven't happened?
'How many funerals have happened with a handful of people? It's selfish. They are bad choices and they will keep us all lockdown for longer than we should be.
'I'm angry. We are all angry. Most of all, and anger because it takes away from the brilliant work that make millions of Victorians are doing every single day.'
At least two medical professionals are believed to have attended the event, while another guest works as a prison chaplain.
Mr Andrews' outburst came after Victoria recorded 22 new local Covid-19 cases on Monday, including five mystery cases.
The Victorian premier announced lockdown would be extended until September 2 with a raft of new restrictions to be enforced, including the closure of playgrounds, basketball courts, skate parks and exercise equipment.
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