The San Diego Board of Supervisors voted to declare misinformation about COVID-19 a public health crisis.
The resolution claims, without providing evidence, that “the unmitigated proliferation of health misinformation has created a culture of mistrust and has prolonged the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED that it is the sense of the Board of Supervisors that health misinformation is declared a public health crisis and the County of San Diego should commit to combating health misinformation and curb the spread of falsehoods that threaten the health and safety of our residents.”
In a letter to the Board of Supervisors, Chair Nathan Fletcher explained the plan to essentially build a real world fact-checking regime similar to Facebook and YouTube censors.
San Diego will now “identify and label health misinformation,” implement “targeted community engagement strategies,” “document and trace” misinformation, and “develop a website” to combat public health misinformation.”
Click here to read the resolution and here to read the letter.