Prime Minister Scott Morrison has taken a swipe at Victoria’s deputy health chief after she compared Captain Cook’s arrival in Australia to the coronavirus.

Dr Annaliese van Diemen has sparked outrage after she posted the controversial comparison on Twitter.

“Sudden arrival of an invader from another land, decimating populations, creating terror. Forces the population to make enormous sacrifices & completely change how they live in order to survive. COVID19 of Cook 1770?” she wrote.

Sudden arrival of an invader from another land, decimating populations, creating terror. Forces the population to make enormous sacrifices & completely change how they live in order to survive. COVID19 or Cook 1770?

— Dr Annaliese van Diemen (@annaliesevd) April 29, 2020

Mr Morrison told Alan Jones he found the comments “very disappointing”.

“She clearly won’t get the job as chief historian.

“I applaud the work she’s doing as a medical officer in Victoria, that’s her expertise. I would strongly suggest she keep to that because those sorts of comments don’t inspire confidence.

“People should stick to their day jobs.”

Click PLAY below to hear the full interview