The Stroud District Green Party has called for the removal of a false and misleading sign from the window of a shop called the Beacon in central Stroud which claims that Covid-19 is not a virus and can be cured by ingesting chloroquine and zinc. This level of disinformation is dangerous for all residents of Stroud District.
“This is truly shocking, dangerous and completely wrong on all levels,” said local physician Dr Richard Dean who has been working on the frontlines in the NHS.
“This chloroquine nonsense is straight out of Trump’s deranged handbook and there is no evidence whatsoever of its efficacy. This is a dangerous message in these times and can definitely exacerbate an already troubling situation.”
Stroud Town Mayor Kevin Cranston called the sign offensive and uninformed. “Even Trump has moved beyond calling for the use of malaria drugs; I wonder if the Beacon will next be supporting the President’s suggestions to use ‘powerful’ lights and household cleaners in new and lethal ways.”
Green Group Leader on the Stroud District Council Martin Whiteside “having lost a family member to Covid-19 over the weekend, I am aware just how dangerous such mis-information is. At the current time we need to urgently set-up systems of contract tracing to test, track, isolate and support those infected and those who have been in contact with them. This is the only safe way in which we can relax the lockdown while we are waiting for better treatment and a vaccine. Following the science is key.”
For science-based information see the Green Party report written by Molly Scott Cato, Green economist, making the case for an approach to the corona virus pandemic. This combines testing with the establishment of ‘community shields’: a network of locally-based community protection schemes. The paper had contributions from Larry Sanders – Green Party health speaker, Gina Dowding – expert in public health, Richard Lawson – GP and former national speaker and Tom Scott – media and data expert. The report was published by Caroline Lucas, Brighton & Pavilion MP.