Posts
Coronavirus:
Ministry of
Health warning after fake
news article says six
confirmed
cases in
Wellington
17
February, 2020
Authorities
warn an article published online claiming people have tested positive
to coronavirus in Wellington is completely false.
The
attention-grabbing headline "Six test positive for coronavirus
in Wellington", published on news-ap.com, was brought to
Newshub's attention by several people who said they'd seen it
circulating on Facebook.
According
to the report, citing a statement from "authorities", five
Kiwis and a Chinese resident had tested positive in the capital.
The
claims have been quickly shut down by the Ministry of Health. A
spokeswoman told Newshub they were made aware of the article on
Sunday.
"Authorities
have made no such statement and that 'message' is without
foundation," she said. "There are currently no confirmed
cases of COVID-19 in New Zealand."
She
said the ministry is committed to providing advice and public
information as soon as possible, should a case be confirmed in New
Zealand.
Newshub
has contacted news-ap.com for comment. The site's origin is unclear
as no information is provided on its page, other than an email
address.
Meanwhile,
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says 11 Kiwis on a coronavirus-stricken
cruise ship in Japan may be evacuated in a joint mission with
Australia.
There
have been almost 70,000 cases of coronavirus - which has officially
been named COVID-19 - confirmed so far, the vast majority of which
are in China.
The
death toll currently stands at 1670, with all but five of those
deaths occurring in China.
Unlike
corporate media I give the chance for people to see the article in
question.
BREAKING
NEWS: Six test positive for coronavirus in Wellington
Five
New Zealanders and one Chinese have tested positive for coronavirus
in Wellington, NZ, authorities have said in a statement.
This
mark the first confirmed coronavirus cases in New Zealand.
According
to the statement, five people became ill after coming into contact
with a Chinese colleague who was visiting from Shanghai and had
recently been in Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak.
Authorities
say the Chinese is still not showing symptoms of the virus despite
testing positive and that is why border control did not notice.
The
six have been admitted at an undisclosed health facility and are
staying in an isolation ward.
So
far, 2,843 new cases have been recorded in China, with 95 new deaths
– raising death toll to 1,523.
Countries
around the world are starting to cut ties with China and pull their
citizens out of the crisis-hit Hubei region, where the virus emerged
in the city of Wuhan.
Hong
Kong’s leader today held a press conference during which she wore a
face mask and said the city would stop all high-speed trains and
ferries to the mainland, halve the number of flights and stop giving
visas to visitors from China.
COMMENT:
In the context of a global cover-up of the full nature of this pandemic I do not believe official pronouncements. I do not know what has happened here but I can make a few points.
My partner spoke to someone (Kiwi) at the market who has contact with the Chinese community who said that someone had been taken off a cruise liner unwell in Wellington just over a week ago.
And what, may I ask is this about? Do you believe the bland assertion that people being helped into an ambulance by people in hazmat suits has nothing to do with coronavirus? Reallly?!
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