THE local mainstream media and social media users are being encouraged to present factual information about the coronavirus outbreak to the citizens which might trigger panic.
Speaking to members of the local media on Monday, Counsellor (Political) and Deputy Chief of Mission for the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Papua New Guinea Yao Ming said; “there were lots of rumours and fake news about coronavirus circulating the social media and sometimes used by the mainstream media recently.
“Let us not cause panic or confusion among our people but listen to the health authorities for health guidelines concerning the virus,” Ming expressed.
He further pointed out that there were also conspiracies coming out claiming that the virus was created in the laboratory in China.
Ming said this is a new virus which was identified by experts in China just week after the breakout.
“It was confirm that the virus was transferred from animal to human and later on it was also confirmed that it can transfer from human to human,” he added.
Ming assured that the Chinese government have nothing to hide which they further shared information about the coronavirus data with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other countries in the world.
He further stressed that Chinese government has rolled out cross nation campaign to prevent and control the spread of the virus.
“We still believe that this virus is curable and I want to stress that the coronavirus patients in China are elderly people.
“And the two kinds of people who are believed to be vulnerable are the elderly people and those with existing health problems,” he added.
He further added that the virus doesn’t like high temperatures because it won’t be easy for the coronavirus to survive.
“But for now we cannot totally exclude the possibility of the virus but must carefully follow health instructions given by health authorities,” he said.
Ming said the Chinese government has taken up very effective measures to curb the virus at the moment.
“We are doing this not for our self-interest but to avoid it spreading to other countries and worst still to countries with very weak health system,” Ming said.
He stressed that Chinese government is doing its uttermost best to keep the virus under control.
By ANDREW FANASIA
