A man has been charged after he allegedly sent a fake positive COVID text to a group chat, forcing the suspension of workers in Dubbo today.
Police have been told the man underwent a COVID test yesterday (Thursday 12 August) and received a text message notifying him of a negative result about 6am today (Friday 13 August 2021).
The man allegedly altered the message to display a positive result before sending it to a group chat, where one of the contacts notified his workplace believing he was a close contact.
The worksite suspended work for the day and instructed its workers to get tested for the virus as a result.
Officers from Orana Mid-Western Police District were notified of the incident a short time later and commenced an investigation.
Following inquiries, the man was charged through a Court Attendance Notice with false representation resulting in police investigation.
He's due to appear in Dubbo Local Court on Monday 27 September 2021.
