A member of the family at the centre of Berkeley COVID 'party' rumours has spoken out, saying "100 per cent, there was no party".
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The family member, who wished to remain anonymous to avoid further accusations, spoke to the Mercury after a story was published about police investigating rumours of a gathering in Berkeley.
The police inquiries were sparked by widespread rumours on social media about the party.
Depending on the version of the rumour, the gathering occurred in one of several locations.
The alleged gathering preceded a rise in COVID cases in the region, which has now drawn the concern of Deputy Premier John Barilaro.
The family member said it didn't take long for the rumours to get back to them.
"We were getting a lot of calls and a lot of messages - 'people are saying it's you guys' - but they're just rumours," the man said.
"As you know Wollongong is a very small community and town. It's like they want something to talk about because there's nothing going on.
"One hundred per cent there was no party. There was no party at all. There are a lot of rumours and we just want to shut them up."
He also refuted rumours about a gathering at another Berkeley location, saying that building had been closed for several months.
The family member added that they had spoken to police, who had come to their home.
Lake Illawarra police were aware of the rumours of a potential gathering in Berkeley last month.
"Officers are conducting inquiries and anyone with information is encouraged not to post information on social media, but to report it via Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or nsw.crimestoppers.com.au," a police spokesman stated.
The family member who spoke to the Mercury suggested the rumours of a gathering may have arisen because there are seven people living in the Berkeley house, with a lot of cars parked outside.
That coupled with the fact that almost all the household members have COVID may have fueled the rumours, he said.
Only the father, who had been vaccinated, is clear of the virus.
The man said he caught the virus around a month ago, the same time as his cousin. However he said he wasn't sure how he picked it up.
"We don't actually know to be honest," he said. "We followed all the health orders and told them where we'd been ... but you might have it and you don't even know about it."
A month later, the man is still feeling the effects of the virus, coughing regularly during a phone interview with the Mercury.
"It's not easy, obviously," he said of dealing with the virus.
"It's a bit hard to breathe but you just have to stick to your doctor's advice and hopefully recover.
"It takes a while to pull through."
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