Australia warns conspiracy theories thwarting COVID containment effortsA coronavirus tester takes a swab sample at a drive-through testing station in MelbourneMELBOURNE - Coronavirus conspiracy theories are hampering frantic efforts to contain a steep spike in cases around the city of Melbourne, where more than 10,000 people have refused testing, Australian health authorities warned Friday. "Disappointingly however we have had more than 10,000 people who have refused to be tested," health minister Jenny Mikakos said. Describing the trend as "concerning" she said, "What I want to stress here is that coronavirus is a very contagious virus. In the last week, 160,000 tests have been carried out in the area and almost 100,000 doors have been knocked on, she said. Australia has recorded more than 8,000 coronavirus cases and just over 100 deaths in a population of 25 million.

Source: Bangkok Post July 03, 2020 05:26 UTC