As COVID cases surge in Sydney thanks to a growing cluster on the Northern Beaches, Pete Evans once again took to social media to express his opinion that the global pandemic is a hoax.
The former television chef posted a message to his Facebook followers, telling them to not get tested for the potentially deadly virus.
“Sydney COVID outbreak grows with two new cases overnight,” Evans wrote. “OUTBREAK … 2 cases. Can you see where this is heading again. Testing for the common cold? Do not get tested.”
The cookbook author, who was dropped by his publisher in November, went on to call citizens who comply with Government suggested protocols “sheeple” with several of his followers showing support for his comments.
Evans has been outspoken in his beliefs that the pandemic — which has so far claimed 1.66 million lives globally — is a “scam”, posting a series of memes on Facebook in June that accused the government and media of fabricating the death toll to fool people into believing the virus was real.
The “scamdemic” or “plandemic” school of thought is one embraced by many conspiracy theorists who believe any combination of ideas that the virus was lab made and released in order to control the global population. They also believe that Bill Gates is responsible for the illness so that he can profit from the subsequent vaccines, that 5G mobile towers spread the virus and that death tolls and infection rate have been grossly exaggerated by the mainstream media which they believe is run by a cabal of elite figures with ill-intentions for humanity. Pun intended.
In October, the controversial chef said that he had been told by experts that the “coronavirus crisis was over” and suggested that COVID-19 was just one version of a made up virus that the world will see in various iterations over the coming years. He also put forward the idea that, “Maybe self-love, maybe hugging and connecting to other human beings and looking at different points of view could be the best vaccine in the world for our community moving forward.”
Back in April, Evans was fined for promoting a BioCharger lamp, with a price tag of nearly $15,000, as being a potential shield against the virus and was subsequently fined $25,200 by the Therapeutic Goods Administration who stated, “Any claim that references COVID-19 is a restricted representation under therapeutic goods legislation, and is of significant concern to the TGA given the heightened public concern about the pandemic.”
Evans’ continued controversial remarks and activity on his social media platforms, including posting a meme that contained what appeared to be a neo-Nazi symbol, has seen him dropped from several deals. The former My Kitchen Rules star was removed from the cast of I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! as a result of his online behaviour.
The health crisis is ever-evolving. If you suspect you or a family member has coronavirus you should call (not visit) your GP or ring the national Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.