Town still Corona-free
There are still no reported Covid-19 cases in town nor its nearby extensions
LYDENBURG – There are no reported Covid-19 coronavirus cases in Lydenburg or its surrounding extensions. This was once again confirmed by Dumisani Malamule, spokesperson for Mpumalanga’s Department of Health.
Steelburger/Lydenburg News contacted Malamule after yet another hoax WhatsApp message did the rounds about two cases reported at Lydenburg Hospital. The message was forwarded on several groups, again causing panic among residents.
The posting indicated that a woman and her husband, both from Mashishing, tested positive for Covid-19. It stated that the woman is being treated in Lydenburg Hospital, but that her husband refused to be admitted and “ran away”.
The person responsible for the message could not be traced. The hoax note was also posted on several Facebook groups in town. Malamule stated that this was untrue and misleading information and again warned against posting such hoaxes.
Any person responsible for fake news, especially regarding Covid-19-related matters, can be charged in terms of Regulation 11 (5) (c) of the Disaster Management Act. This includes publishing any statement through any medium, including social media, to deceive any other person about measures by the government to address Covid-19.
