San Diego County Supervisors Declare COVID-19 Misinformation A Public Health Crisis

[Nevilledog]

Link to tweet

https://www.kpbs.org/news/2021/sep/01/san-diego-county-supervisors-covid-misinformation/


A divided San Diego County Board of Supervisors has voted to adopt what is believed to be a first-in-the-nation policy of declaring COVID-19 misinformation a public health crisis and adopt a series of recommendations to actively combat it.

"Combating health misinformation needs to start on the ground, in counties and cities across our nation," said Board Chairman Nathan Fletcher, who authored the policy. "San Diego County took the first step by becoming the first local jurisdiction in the country to align its policies with the U.S. surgeon general's recommendations to fight health misinformation. Health misinformation is a national crisis and it requires all of us to fight against it together."

Tuesday night's vote was 3-2, with Supervisors Jim Desmond and Joel Anderson voting no. The final result came after hours of debate featuring testimony from hundreds of residents, many who opposed the measure. Fletcher characterized them as "mostly right-wing, anti-vaxxers."

Addressing opponents during the meeting, Fletcher said: "Nothing in this measure will take away anyone's right to free speech. But this will empower medical experts to lend their knowledge to provide people with info about what they may be hearing. Our efforts today are to help us in the cause to get beyond COVID-19. I can promise you that no one ever ran for public office saying, `I want to close businesses, I want to wear masks.' We want to get out of this pandemic without any closures or further mandates."

*snip*

[Lovie777]

1. Well yeah it is a health problem . ..

The USA alongwith the world is trying to contain and hopefully eradicate the virus and it's variants but alas it's hard to because of all the misinformation being put out through social media and hate tv and radio.

Honestly, please bring back the Fair and balance doctrine.

[JuJuChen]

2. I work for the County in San Diego and totally agree with this.

The past few board meetings have been a Trump like circus show.

[BigmanPigman]

4. Last week was a complete shitshow.

Even Stephen Colbert had the San Diego maskholes on his late night show.

[KPN]

3. How about a law enabling citizens to file law suits against anyone

engaged in, enabling or supporting in any way the production, distribution or broadcast of misinformation about Covid 19 with penalties of not less than $10,000 to be paid to the filer of the lawsuit? …. They want to do that to pro-choicers in Texas? Why not go after them. We’ll meet your vigilantes and raise you by 8 or 10 million.

Okay, a fantasy for sure - but one I’d certainly enjoy.