NATIONAL NEWS - A video urging people not to submit to the nationwide Covid-19 screening which starts today, has authorities around the country up in arms.
The video starts where a man who does not identify himself, takes an earbud from his nose and then tells people that the test kits which will be used may be contaminated with the coronavirus and that the national testing might result in “the deaths of thousands”.
He continues to say that he has sent an urgent request to “councilors of Cape Town” to test the kits first and to withhold the screening process, which he calls “testing process”.
He then says that if his warning is true it will save thousands of lives and if it is false, he will apologise.
The video came to the attention of Oudtshoorn Courant on Sunday night (5 April) when people started raising concerns about the screening process which is to start today in Kwanonqaba in Mossel Bay.
Because of the misinformation in the video, many people indicated on Facebook that they do not trust the screening process.
Oudtshoorn Courant sent the video to Western Cape Premier, Alan Winde at 21:55 last night and he responded immediately saying that it was fake news and that charges had been laid with the police. His spokesperson, Bianca Capazorio, also responded asking newspapers to inform readers not to share the video.
In a statement by the Western Cape Department of Health this morning the screening process was explained.
The main focus of the screening is to reach vulnerable parts of the community in order to determine if there are people who need help. From the statement it is clear that the nationwide process is not one of testing as was stated in the video, but one of screening by means of door to door visits or from temporary sites erected in densely populated areas. The screening entails field- and health workers asking verbal questions which include questions relating to health.
Testing will only be done if there is an indication that a person might be displaying symptoms or gives information that might indicate that the person was exposed to the virus. Health- and field workers will wear tags which clearly identify them as such.
Meanwhile a family member of a Covid-patient from Oudtshoorn has laid charges with the SAPS relating to Facebook posts in George which stated that the patient reportedly died on Friday. The particular patient is in fact, on his way to recovery.
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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. Group Editors (publications and online platforms) 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.
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