Stop spreading Covid misinformation, says PCC candidate
People have been urged to stop spreading "damaging" misinformation about the Covid pandemic online.
Jay Singh-Sohal, the Conservative candidate to be the next West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, called on people to “tackle the virus of misinformation as well as Covid itself” by not sharing dubious social media posts about coronavirus and the vaccine.
He said: “I know full well the effect that misinformation and disinformation can have on our nation's response to this crisis – because I’ve seen the damage it does to our country.
"So it’s vital that we all do our part to tackle this too, as well as Covid itself, because it’s spread can also lead to people ignoring scientific advice and government guidelines, which are designed to keep us safe."
comes after The Office for National Statistics said that ethnic minority groups were more likely to die from the virus than white people, while a study suggests black people aged over 80 are half as likely to get the vaccine as others.
At the start of the pandemic Army Reservist Mr Singh-Sohal helped lead a special cell set up to find misinformation and disinformation being shared online.
He urged BAME communities to "do their part to help prevent the spread of misinformation", and added: "We need to put our faith into the science behind the vaccine so that we can all get the jab swiftly, which will ensure we can get back to life as much as normal and as quickly as possible."
