D’OH!

Pizza Man’s ‘Lie’ Blamed for Lockdown of an Entire Australian State

South Australia’s lockdown decision was based on a bare-faced lie told by a man about his links to a pizza shop.

If you’re ever having a rough day, console yourself with the knowledge that you’ve never screwed up so badly that you forced your entire state to go into lockdown. South Australia’s strict measures began on Wednesday after the state detected 36 COVID-19 infections—but the lockdown decision was based on a bare-faced lie told by a man about his links to a pizza shop. The man, who tested positive for COVID-19, told contract tracers that he had picked up a pizza from Woodville Pizza Bar where a member of staff had tested positive, sparking fears that the restaurant could have become a superspreader. In reality, the man worked several shifts there alongside the other infected party, which meant he was a close contact, and fears that a large number of people might have been exposed through casual transmission at the pizza bar turned out to be misplaced. The state’s premier, Steven Marshall, said: “To say I am fuming about the actions of this individual is an absolute understatement.”