Last week, Minister for Health Greg Hunt issued a stark warning that the deliberate transmission of COVID-19 could be punishable by a lifetime prison sentence.

Mr Hunt said he sought legal advice from the Attorney-General’s department, which said such an action was an offence under the general criminal laws in every state and territory.

“The most serious of these offences may carry maximum penalties up to imprisonment for life, if somebody was to take a step which led to the death of a healthcare worker. If it were a deliberate transmission,” he said.

He also said it was against the law to “cause someone else to fear that they are having transmitted to them the virus, for example by coughing on them.”