Covid-positive man accused of refusing to isolate and evading police is arrested in Sydney’s west after city-wide manhunt
- A Covid-positive man dubbed ‘Sydney’s public health enemy’ has avoided cops
- Police claim Anthony Karam, 27, has the virus and is not complying with orders
- Karam was arrested by Bankstown Police on Thursday afternoon after manhunt
A Covid-positive man wanted by cops after allegedly refusing to isolate and evading police has been has been arrested in Sydney’s west.
Anthony Karam, 27, was arrested by Bankstown police just before 5.30pm on Thursday at an apartment in Wentworth Point.
He is expected to be charged in a matter of hours.
Mr Karam was previously known to police and tested positive for the disease on August 14, cops say, but allegedly refused to self-isolate at home.
He allegedly refused to answer calls from health officials who then brought in police but when they tried to visit his home, they allegedly discovered the address he gave was fake.
Covid-positive Anthony Karam (pictured) was arrested by NSW Police after they say he reneged on a deal to turn himself in after he allegedly refused to self-isolate
Karam allegedly went on the run while infected, potentially spreading the disease to thousands across the state.
CCTV footage of Karam released by police shows him coughing while in an apartment block lift.
Police previously made contact with him through a third party and thought they had negotiated a deal to bring him in off the streets, The Daily Telegraph reported.
But the deal fell through and sparked a renewed manhunt for him.
The situation was considered so serious that police used Section 62 of the Public Health Act for the first time to name and identify Karam to help in the search.
Anthony Karam, 27, seen here in CCTV footage from a lift in an apartment block, has been branded Sydney’s ‘public health enemy number one’
Anthony Karam, 27, pictured, was previously known to police and tested positive for the disease on August 14 – but has allegedly refused to self-isolate