The Gauteng Department of Health has advised the public to be vigilant of misleading information and fake news after a video on social media advising people not to take the test because the testing kit may be contaminated with Covid-19.
The health department spokesperson, Kwara Kekana said their screening and testing teams had difficulty in parts of the community as some residents refused to take the test due to the misleading video circulated on 6 April.
Kekana said, “In the video, the public is misled not to agree to be tested because the swabs which will be used for the tests are allegedly contaminated with Covid-19. We wish to state categorically that this is not true and can assure the public that the screening and testing will not expose anyone to Covid-19 in any way.”
Health workers in Gauteng are working with multiple stakeholders as they undertake a large scale community testing and screening programme which hopes to interrupt the spread of Covid-19.
The department has reminded residents, that anyone that creates or spreads fake news about Covid-19 is liable to prosecution.
* Notice: Coronavirus reporting at Caxton Local Media aims to combat fake news
Dear reader,
As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19.
Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).
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