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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Jail time, fines for fake nCoV news purveyors in Cebu

Jail time, fines for fake nCoV news purveyors in Cebu

Published Feb 10, 2020 12:00 am
By Merlina Hernando-Malipot Fines or jail time await those proven to be fake newsmongers as the province of Cebu awaits developments on the 2019 novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (2019-nCOV ARD). According to reports, the Cebu Provincial Board (PB) on Monday (Feb. 10) passed on third and final reading a proposed ordinance adopting the provisions of Executive Order (EO) No. 5 that creates a provincial task force to help prevent the entry and spread of 2019-nCoV in the province. Filed by fourth district Provincial Board Member Kerrie Keane Shimura, who also heads the committee on public health, the ordinance said that non-disclosure of “pertinent facts in the health declaration card” as well as the “spread of fake news and false information on social media” related to the virus are strictly prohibited. Those who violate the ordinance will be subjected to penalties. As stipulated in the ordinance, those found guilty of spreading false information on nCoV - whether online or through sent through text messages - are subject to up to one year of jail time and fines up to P5,000. Earlier, it was reported that Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia issued guidelines for local government units (LGUs) across Cebu province for the enforcement of home quarantine for Cebuanos coming from countries with confirmed cases of 2019-nCoV ARD. The ordinance was filed following an incident involving a former member of the Talisay City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office who claimed on Facebook last Feb. 4 that the district hospital in the city was supposedly under red alert due to a possible case of nCoV ARD. Earlier, the Philippine National Police (PNP) also warned that criminal charges would be filed against netizens who will be caught spreading fake news about nCoV. The World Health Organization (WHO) also noted that the world is not only fighting against an epidemic but also an “infodemic.” In its Feb. 2 WHO Situation Report for the 2019-nCoV, WHO noted that the nCoV “outbreak and response has been accompanied by a massive ‘infodemic’ - an over-abundance of information - some accurate and some not - that makes it hard for people to find trustworthy sources and reliable guidance when they need it.” The latest Department of Health (DOH) data showed that the number of patients under investigation (PUIs) for possible 2019-nCoV infection has increased to 314. Based on DOH’s nCoV tracker as of Feb. 10, there are 18 PUIs in Central Visayas.
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