Labour Demands Tougher Laws to Crack Down on Anti-Vax Disinfo
Labour Slams Gov Over Vaccine Misinformation
Labour has hit out at the government for dragging its feet on tackling anti-vaccination disinformation online. The party wants urgent legislation that would punish platforms financially and even criminally if they fail to act against harmful content.
Shadow culture secretary Jo Stevens and shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth have fired off a letter to Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden. They warn that anti-vax groups with hundreds of thousands of followers are “churning out disinformation” that seriously threatens vaccine uptake.
“The government has a pitiful track record on taking action against online platforms that are facilitating the spread of disinformation,” said Ms Stevens. “This widespread and growing problem is a real threat to the vaccine rollout.”
New Covid Cases Spark Alarm in South Australia
Meanwhile, South Australia has reported four new coronavirus cases, including an 80-year-old woman who might be the source of a new community outbreak.
SA Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier revealed the woman was tested at Lyell McEwin Hospital and remains stable. Worse, two family members – a woman in her 50s and a man in his 60s – have also tested positive. Crucially, one of them works at a medi-hotel.
“This is very early information,” said Professor Spurrier. “We’re conducting genomic testing but this could be the source.”
Health officials are now urgently tracing contacts at the hospital to stop further spread.
