A limousine driver who became public enemy number one when he was accused of sending Sydney into lockdown during the pandemic has explained how he was ‘treated like a criminal’.

Limo driver Michael Podgoetsky, 63, has been hounded for months after he sparked the Delta outbreak that led to a five-month lockdown that crippled NSW.

He caught the Delta strain after picking up Fed Ex flight crew from Sydney Airport in June without being vaccinated or wearing masks and driving them to their hotel.

The driver then spent several days off in the community, visiting cafes and shops, spreading the virus in the city’s eastern suburbs.

He also takes her to the cinema, then to the Belle Café in the Vaucluse and to the Westfield Bondi Junction.

Podgoetsky finally realized he was infected when he returned to work and a routine test came back positive.

Now he has opened up about his experience, revealing how he feels he was tricked.

The eastern suburbs were immediately shut down after he tested positive, and within days the rest of the city followed, triggering months of misery

The lockdown has caused months of chaos in NSW as the region battles the outbreak

“My wife was upset,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald. “We couldn’t deal with the stress.

“Looking back, I believe I was deceived and treated like a criminal.”

The eastern suburbs were immediately shut down after he tested positive, and within days the rest of the city followed, triggering months of misery.

Despite a public outcry, police later admitted he had broken no laws and was not required to wear a mask or be vaccinated at the time, despite the risks involved.

Podgoetsky faced further criticism months later when he was snapped without a mask and fined $500. He has also been accused of being an anti-vaxxer, which he has denied.

He says he was vilified afterwards, someone rammed his car and a neighbor told him he had ‘destroyed NSW’ and would tell everyone his name.

“I don’t want to be known for Covid-19,” he insisted to 7News when he was identified. “It’s in my head like I did something wrong.

“The bioweapon was brought into our state and I am blamed for it. I feel bad. I feel bad for what is happening now in the state.

“I don’t know where I picked it up but I followed the rules.”

Despite a public outcry, police later admitted he had broken no laws and was not required to wear a mask or be vaccinated at the time, despite the risks involved.

Away from Podgoetsky, several other people have been hunted down for spreading Covid in Australia.

Wealthy finance boss Tom Pizzey, 59, made headlines around the world when his weekend at barbecue shops and a butcher shop unknowingly sparked a huge Covid scare in May.

Seven months later, the part-time guitarist made fun of his notoriety with his 80s cover band The Distractions who released the song BBQ Man.

The managing director of an international private equity firm gained Covid notoriety when he left a trail of potential Delta hotspots across Sydney.

Although he had not been abroad or in contact with a known case, Mr Pizzey later tested positive – but not before spending a long weekend criss-crossing the city.

The Sydney millionaire who forced Byron Bay into lockdown at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Zoran Radovanovic is pictured with his son Kristian eight years ago

Starting with a coffee in the CBD on Friday morning, he had his eyes checked around the city before lunch at an Italian restaurant in Paddington, then a film debut at Bondi Junction followed by dinner at another upscale Italian at Kings Cross.

Serbian millionaire Zoran Radovanovic, 52, was thrown into the spotlight when he and his son snuck out of Sydney on a mysterious trip to Byron Bay during the lockdown.

He is now believed to have left the country with his son to fly to Serbia and is at risk of arrest the second he returns to Australia.

The couple visited a series of places on the NSW north coast without checking in until the two ended up in a hospital in Lismore with Covid, and triggered a week-long lockdown in the Byron Bay area.

Zoran’s shady past later came back to haunt him as it was revealed that he had previous convictions for drug trafficking and theft, pretended to leave Australia while overstaying his visa and that he had to apply for Australian citizenship.

It was also revealed that Son Kristian was caught driving drunk twice in three days in 2020 and was branded a ‘habitual traffic offender’ in court.