A former UFC fighter who pushes ridiculous conspiracy theories about coronavirus has challenged Daniel Andrews to a brawl over Victoria’s stage four lockdown.
Vik Grujic, an anti-masker who makes the absurd and dangerous claim the pandemic is a ‘hoax’, labelled Mr Andrews ‘evil’ in a bizarre attack on Monday evening.
Grujic’s criticism of Mr Andrews came as participants on the ABC’s Q&A program demanded the Victorian leader step down over the bungled hotel quarantine program because the ‘buck stops’ with him.
Australia suffered its deadliest day of the pandemic on Monday, with 19 fatalities recorded in Victoria. The state is battling 7,869 active infections, including 322 reported on Monday.
A former UFC fighter has challenged Daniel Andrews to a brawl amid frustration over the Victoria’s coronavirus lockdown
Grujic seemingly challenged Mr Andrews to a fight by posting an image with the pair’s head shots and the text ‘Grujic vs Andrews’
On Monday night, Mr Andrews posted a video to Twitter of a young COVID-19 patient detailing her battle with the virus.
‘This virus is wicked. It doesn’t discriminate. It does not stop. And young or old – its impacts are brutal and potentially life-long,’ he wrote.
Mr Andrew’s tweet caught the attention of former UFC fighter Grujic, who replied: ‘The only thing wicked is you.
‘You are evil. You will pay a heavy price for your betrayal and human rights violations.
‘Answer to no one. State funded propaganda through the vile and corrupt #MSM. Retribution is coming.’
The 43-year-old then appeared to challenge Mr Andrews to a fight by posting an image with the pair’s head shots and the text ‘Grujic vs Andrews’.
‘I’m down,’ he wrote alongside the photo.
Grujic reacts after his TKO victory over Chris Indich in their welterweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Vector Arena on June 28, 2014 in Auckland, New Zealand
Grujic often shares dangerous commentary on the coronavirus pandemic on Twitter
Grujic often targets Mr Andrews on Twitter, calling for the premier to resign amid stage four lockdown restrictions in Melbourne.
The MMA fighter also spreads false and dangerous commentary about the coronavirus pandemic.
‘Fake plandemic is a hoax. An attempt from the Marxist text book to destroy our way of life,’ he posted on Twitter last month.
‘Daniel Andrews and the #MSM are working over time. You will fail miserably and all be held accountable for these crimes against humanity. #resignDanAndrews.’
Mr Andrews and his job as premier was the subject of debate on Monday evening’s episode of Q&A, ‘State of Disaster’.
Barry Cummings from Carrara in Queensland asked whether Mr Andrews should step away from the task following the state’s bungled quarantine program, which sparked most, if not all of second wave cased.
‘How can the Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, possibly remain in his position?’ Mr Cummings asked.
‘Surely that’s untenable, exacerbated by the fiasco of private security companies being in control of quarantine and the massive damage to the economy?
Barry Cummings from Carrara in Queensland asked the Q&A panel on Monday whether Mr Andrews should resign
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews speaks to the media on Monday, as his state records 19 additional COVID-19 deaths
‘The buck surely stops with the CEO or chief or leader and heads should and must roll. When will he and his executive team be held accountable?’
Host Hamish Macdonald put the question to Victorian Labor Senator Kimberley Kitching, who defended Mr Andrews.
She said the premier took accountability when he was grilled over the hotel quarantine program during one of his daily coronavirus updates.
‘Well, I think the first question mentioned the buck stops with him and I think that what Daniel said in a press conference last week was exactly that. The buck stops with him,’ she said.
‘He said, ”I will be fully accountable for any mistakes that are made.” I don’t think you can ask much more from any leader.’
Ms Kitching said Mr Andrews was taking on gruelling hours every day to respond to the health crisis.
‘I would also say Daniel has fronted up to nearly 40 days straight of press conferences. Some of those press conferences are marathons. They’re very long,’ she said.
A woman in a face mask goes for a walk during stage four lockdown in Melbourne on Monday
Police officers in face masks patrol Melbourne’s CBD as residents are ordered to stay at home
She said ‘questions will be asked’ when the Legislative Assembly sits, as well as during the inquiry into the hotel quarantine program.
‘So I think there is a high level of accountability. Daniel has said he will take full responsibility. And I think he’s been very up-front,’ Ms Kitching said.
Paul Waterson, CEO of Australian Venue Co., said this is ‘not the time for post-mortems’ as Victoria remains in the middle of a crisis.
‘It sounds like there will be the appropriate reviews and people will be held accountable for decisions that were made but we need to focus on supporting the business, supporting the teams and getting through this initial lockdown,’ he said.
Australia’s death toll has now surpassed 300, with 313 people losing their lives to COVID-19. Of those, 228 were from Victoria.
Authorities had previously warned the state’s death toll would rise given the increasing number of COVID-19 infections.
There are 7,869 active cases in Victoria, of which 1,756 are linked to aged care residents and staff.
By contrast, the rest of Australia has fewer than 300 active cases combined.
Residents wearing face masks cross the road outside Flinders Street Station in Melbourne
Collins St in Melbourne is quiet and empty during coronavirus lockdown on Monday
Some 640 Victorians are in hospital with the virus, with 47 in intensive care and 31 of them on ventilators.
The latest victims are a man in his 50s, a woman in her 60s, two men in their 70s, six women and one man in their 80s, and seven women and one man in their 90s.
Fourteen of the deaths are linked to outbreaks at aged care facilities.
Victoria recorded 322 new COVID-19 cases on Monday – its lowest daily figure since July 29, when it recorded 295 new cases.
But Mr Andrews urged people not to become complacent about the numbers.
‘It is really important that we all stay the course on this,’ Mr Andrews told reporters on Monday.
‘(COVID-19) is a wicked enemy, it will do everything it can to wear you down and that is where it absolutely flourishes.’
Metropolitan Melbourne has been under tough stage-four restrictions – including an 8pm curfew – for a week, while regional Victoria is under stage-three measures.
A member of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) conducts a temperature check at a drive-in COVID-19 testing site in Melbourne
Pictured: Collins Street is seen without cars and pedestrians during lockdown on Monday-
The lockdowns are in place until September 13.
‘It is still very early for us to be trying to measure the impacts of stage four, but we’re certainly seeing perhaps some greater stability that is a result of the cumulative impact of stage three,’ Mr Andrews said.
‘It’s bought some stability in the numbers, but we’ve got to drive them down so that we can reopen.’
A new advertising campaign featuring coronavirus survivors and frontline health workers was also launched to emphasise the long-term impacts of the disease.
In one of the ads, June describes spending 32 days in ICU with coronavirus.
‘I didn’t know how serious it was. They thought that I might not live through the first night,’ she said in one of the ads.
She now has nerve damage in her right hand and fears she may have long-term brain damage.
Sarah, a young mother and midwife, said she still felt ‘incapacitated’ four weeks after contracting the disease.
‘I was inflamed to the point I wasn’t able to fully inflate my lung or exhale without excruciating pain,’ she said.
The ad ends with text explaining Sarah has since returned to hospital with complications from the virus.