A video doing the rounds on social media claiming that COVID-19 community testing is dangerous because the testing kits are infected with coronavirus has been labelled fake news.
In the video, a man urges people to not submit to the community screening and testing currently being rolled out across the various provinces this week. He argues that the test kits may have been contaminated with coronavirus, and that taking the test could lead to death. He also urges councillors of Cape Town to test the kits before using them on people.
According to Oudtshoorn Courant, Western Cape Premier Alan Winde has seen the video and labelled it fake news. Criminal charges have been laid with the police.
Fake News Alert.? #StopTheSpread pic.twitter.com/JUYVUlD1bU
— Premier Alan Winde (@alanwinde) April 6, 2020
The Eastern Cape Department of Health also condemns the video, saying it has caused unnecessary panic.
“We condemn the viral video which is spreading fake news and hope that law enforcement agencies will follow up on the video, and possibly arrest the man for spreading the malicious message,” said Sizwe Kupelo, Provincial Health spokesperson.
“We would like to put it on record that the testing kits are not contaminated and emphasize that we would never put people’s lives at risk by using contaminated testing kits on them.
“This is not the time for conspiracy theorists. We need as many people as possible to get tested for the coronavirus should they have symptoms consistent with the virus.”
Picture: Video screenshot