The message falsely claims that wards at the Royal Bolton Hospital are “filling up again” which there'll be another “good lockdown” in two weeks’ time.
The false message, claiming to be from a nurse in Bolton who “wishes to remain anonymous”, specifically says that there are tons of youngsters in hospital at the instant with more Asian patients present than the other ethnos. But authorities within the borough have confirmed the claims are false and therefore the number of cases of coronavirus at the Royal Bolton Hospital is really falling.
A joint statement has been issued by the chief executives of Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, the clinical commissioning group (CCG) and therefore the council.
It said: “We are aware that a false report is circulating on social media about the amount of COVID-19 patients at Royal Bolton Hospital. “The information contained during this report is fake and will be ignored because it has come from what we believe to be a fake account, designed to make fear and panic among our communities.
“There is a little number of adult patients who are COVID-19 positive at the hospital, but currently we aren't seeing an increase in cases and that we haven't any children who are COVID positive.
“The reduced levels of the virus circulating within the community has been achieved through the efforts of our residents in continuing to exercise social distancing and following government guidance on meeting others and that we thank everyone for his or her efforts and support.
“The infection rate data for Bolton doesn't indicate that we'd like to possess a localised lockdown and any report of this happening is additionally untrue. the newest figures also show that the extent of infection reported for Bolton is significantly less than the previous week.
“However, unfortunately, the virus remains with us, and within the north-west, we appear to be more affected than other parts of the country. We, therefore, ask you to please still stay alert and take sensible precautions when far away from home, in order that we will still keep our resources for helping those that need it. “We also ask you to be mindful of what's referred to as ‘fake news’ and take information directly from our official websites and social media channels which are updated frequently. ” Bolton CCG chief officer Su Long told a public committee meeting on Friday morning about the fake news spreading on social media.
She said:
“There are false reports spreading on social media and being shared across the community suggesting that numbers are on the increase in hospital of COVID in Bolton and
suggesting that our Asian community is seeing an enormous rise.
“Those are believed to be false accounts circulating either by people that are worried by lockdown being lessened and seeking to scare people back to their homes or by people seeking to cause upset generally.
“The hospital has been working with
community groups to undertake to urge a press release out about the very fact that there is only a little number of individuals at the hospital who are COVID positive at the instant which the infection rate doesn’t indicate a requirement for an area lockdown.”
Breightmet councillor Adele Warren has seen messages shared during a WhatsApp group saying that an outsized number of youngsters are during a critical condition which the hospital is battling COVID-19 cases.
She said: “This is irresponsible and is meant to make fear and cause panic.
“These messages can start during a small group and be shared vastly.
“It is basically important that we all know the facts and that we don't want people thinking that those things are happening then not getting to the hospital.”
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