A South African man has been arrested over his claims that the country’s COVID-19 test kits have been contaminated. The 55-year-old is due to appear before the court later on Tuesday, Police Spokesperson, Brigadier Mathapelo Peters confirmed.
“The arrest relates to a video disseminated through various social media platforms purporting contamination of Covid-19 tests kit,” Peters said.
In the viral video posted on his Facebook page, the man was seen and heard calling on South Africans to avoid any Covid-19 test. He claimed that the police, will alongside 10, 000 workers, move door to door to force people to test for COVID-19.
“Do not under any circumstances allow them to test you. There’s a possibility that the swabs are contaminated with Covid-19,” he said. News24 reported that the man claimed the swabs are used to “spread the virus”, without providing any evidence.
According to local laws, he has been charged in relation to “publishing any statement through any medium including social media with the intention to deceive any other person about measures by the government to address Covid-19.”
He faces six months jail term or a fine.
