As many of you are aware, the current pandemic is a source for a significant number of false stories and misinformation, local newspapers and MSPs are unwittingly helping to share that misinformation.

This article is a fact checking article, if you believe we’ve made an error you can submit a correction in line with our correction policy.

“Reports that the army are setting up base nearby are true. Following several photos today on social media, it has now been announced by the Ministry of Defence this evening, Wednesday 18th March 2020 that up to 20,000 troops are on stand-by to provide support to the NHS.”

In addition, at First Minister’s Questions today at the Scottish Parliament, SNP MSP Richard Lyle spoke about “unconfirmed reports” the army is setting up in Strathclyde Park.

The problem? Reports that “the army are setting up base nearby are true” are absolutely not true. This has been confirmed by the Ministry of Defence, by the way.

Some are claiming, based on what they’ve seen on social media, that secret bases are being built around Glasgow to put the city into lockdown, with Strathclyde Park often being named along with Govan as locations for bases being built in the night. You can read more about it here.

The lockdown however, never happened. There is “zero prospect of any restrictions being placed on travelling”, the UK government has said. A spokesperson also said there were also “no plans to use military personnel for public order during the coronavirus pandemic”.

Misinformation during a pandemic is a serious matter, watch out for it.

George Allison
George Allison
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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17 COMMENTS

  3. The same as the SNPs No RN ships in Scotland comment, I wish the SNP would stop causing chaos and do their job.
    Can we make a law that makes it illegal for any Government minster to spread false information or lies that causes public concern.

  4. There are daily briefings from Boris, advisors etc. which are giving everybody the decisions and information. Not sure I have time for anything else (plus finding out if it is actually true).

    Most people are tuning into the Boris show presumable because they are not trusting anything much else.

    The media are a little obsessed with hindsight. That is pointless at the moment. Eventually questions should be asked and lessons learned but this is not the time in my view?

    • “The media are a little obsessed with hindsight. That is pointless at the moment. Eventually questions should be asked and lessons learned but this is not the time in my view?”

      Well said Mark.

      As the Senior Medical and Scientific Advisors have repeatedly stated – THIS IS A NEW VIRUS * so the science is evolving as we learn more going forward. This means we WILL make mistakes and people WILL unfortunately die as a result, but a human being can only make decisons on what they know at the time the decision HAS to be made. Medics, scientists and even ministers are having to make terribly difficult decisons and will need to do so for months to come based on knowledge that is changing all the time.

      *Sorry for shouting but SNP, social media and even the press are still pushing misinformation which is frightening people many of whom are already frightened enough as it is. Especially if they are already dealing with cancer or some other awful condition that puts them in the ‘vulnerable’ bracket. Don’t these scaremongers have any decency?

      • Chario, thanks for your comment, I’m at the moment suffreing from a issue (enough medication to sink a battleship) with the heart, started after a perferation of the bowel, septicimia and peritoniitis’ 24 hours giving to call friends and family but two years later and like a weed still here. Here’s the issue will people stop getting into a panic, we will get through this and not only that but I trust our docters and nurses not only my experiance from putting me back together in my military life but also in my civlian life. So come on people stop panicing and help, support each other, simple no, just ask if your neighbour needs help.

        • Hi Ron,

          Sounds like you’ve been through it. Credit to you for staying so positive. I’ve been disabled all my life which is obviously a different kind of experience but I do understand from that experience that it can get tough at times…

          As for the panic I was watching the news last night and was struck by the LACK of panic in Northern Italy. Shelves still well stocked, well spaced quiet queues. We Brits have lost something important. There were ten cases reported in Somerset yesterday so allowing for undetected cases that would be about 100 may be 200 cases in a population of just under 600,000. The shelves are stripped… madness.

          I think that post war clearance of old housing was done in such away that our old established communities were ripped a part and we have never quite got back to that sense community spirit or belonging. Not the same country that went through the Blitz I fear…

  6. Not sure if others are ware but Scotland also has a Chief Medical officer as does Wales. All the nations medical and scientific officers are aligned and co-ordinating on steps to take in the COVID19 crisis.

    • Hi expat,

      Yes I was aware and I also believe from comments made that Nicola Sturgeon is part of the COBRA team making the decisions. Not heard about Mark Drakeford but I would have thought he would be involved as well given Health is a devolved power.

      I was impressed with the UK’s response up until last weekend. I think the number of cases took an unexpected turn for the worse about a week ago. If you look at the graph there is a very distinct ‘kink’ upwards in the numbers of reported cases. As such I think the scientists and hence the politicians, civil servants and NHS supply chain (including NHS Logistics and industry) are scrambling to catch up.

      To be fair they seem to be getting to grip with it again, but playing catch up with a virus is not a good place to be. There are two scenarios playing out that I can see – China and Italy. Lets hope we go the China route – now there’s a sentenance I never thought I’d write!

  7. Diane Abbott has called for the BBC to stop filming casualty and Holby city so the staff can help out with the corona virus outbreak …

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