Story By: Ana Lacasa, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash
A fake doctor has been arrested in Guatemala for trying to sell a bogus COVID-19 vaccine to an indigenous community.
The suspect, identified as Rodolfo Garcia, was arrested in the municipality of Chisec in the northern Guatemalan department of Alta Verapaz after he reportedly tried to sell a fake vaccine to an indigenous community to protect them from COVID-19.
The suspect told villagers: “We are going to be vaccinating against coronavirus. We will set up a system so everyone is protected from this disease for a very low price.”
Garcia is accused of committing fraud, although it is unclear if he has been charged yet and the investigation is ongoing.
According to local media, Guatemala has now closed all airports and borders to prevent the spread of the virus.
Public transport has been suspended and employees have been asked to work from home to avoid crowds in the city.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry has advised citizens that there is not a vaccine available for COVID-19 yet and to be careful about anyone offering such treatments as they could prove to be harmful.
Guatemala has so far registered 19 cases of COVID-19 with one confirmed death, an 85-year-old man who has recently returned from Spain.
The ViralTab page is created by and dedicated to professional, independent freelance journalists. It is a place for us to showcase our work. When our news is sold to our media partners, we will include the link here.
