Take That's Howard Donald goes on bizarre rant about facemasks
Singer also appeared to suggest philanthropist Bill Gates was only trying to develop a vaccine for profit
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Take That member Howard Donald has posted a string of bizarre tweets related to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, in which he railed against the requirement to wear facemasks.
In the posts, the singer-songwriter took aim at Bill Gates over patents on vaccines, and questioned the need to wear masks when outside.
“What has become of the world lately?!!” the 52-year-old tweeted. “People alone in cars wearing masks also I was driving down a quiet country road and lady cyclist was wearing a mask whilst riding?! [sic]”
During the rant, he suggested people hoping to avoid catching Covid-19 could take “immune boosting herbal tablets and vitamin rich food”.
“Bill Gates has patents on vaccines and viruses!!!! Why patents on viruses?” he asked.
Donald’s comments about Gates may have stemmed from an American conspiracy theory, which falsely claims that Gates is using the Covid-19 pandemic as a way to push his vaccine. The theory claims Gates’s vaccine includes a microchip capable of tracking people, and thus the world’s population.
"Vaccines are questionable!" Howard claimed. "Especially when it’s vaccinating the world for pure profit. Do u think bill gates [sic] wants to save the world or does he wants to make a couple more billion?"
Gates himself recently responded to some of the theories regarding his involvement in the pandemic, telling Business Insider: “It’s almost hard to deny this stuff because it’s so stupid or strange that even to repeat it gives it credibility.”
“I’ve never been involved in any microchip type thing,” Gates said, according to Wired. “It is good to know which kids have had a measles vaccine and which have not, so there are data systems and… health records that people use to track that… but there’s no chips or anything like that.”
Donald concluded his rant by suggesting he might delete his Twitter account.
“I think I’m gonna delete Twitter for a few weeks before I really say what I think,” he wrote. “Not saying things to wind people up, I’m just saying it because there is a bigger picture behind this and if we don’t educate, humans will have freedoms taken away. I care for humans, especially kids.”
The Independent has contacted Donald’s representative for comment.