A 53-year old man allegedly spat at police in Moulden Monday night after claiming to have "that" virus.
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Police were attending to a domestic disturbance in the suburb outside Darwin when the alleged incident occurred, with the man then arrested and conveyed to the Palmerston Watch House.
He has been charged with assaulting a member of the police force and will appear today in Darwin Local Court via video link.
Senior Police officials have expressed their shock at the behaviour.
"I am appalled and disgusted at this behaviour and hope our officers do not contract any illness following this reckless act," Deputy Commissioner Murray Smalpage said.
Incidents of spitting, however, have been prevalent ever since the virus hit Australian shores.
Supermarket workers in Melbourne and Sydney claimed to have been spat and coughed on while trying to move panic-buyers out of aisles to restock the shelves.
Last week in New South Wales a man claimed to have COVID-19 and spat in a police officer's face, an event which triggered News South Wales to introduce a new $5000 fine for coughing and spitting.on frontline workers.
Earlier this month, ambulance workers had blood spat on them while attending to an emergency situation in Tennant Creek.
Monday's event is the first alleged incident thus far, however, of claims to have COVID-19 being used in this way against frontline workers in the Territory.
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