Coronavirus: Republican lawmaker demands Americans ‘stop getting tested’ for Covid-19

'It is giving the government an excuse to claim something is happening that is not happening', politician says

A Republican lawmaker has urged people in Ohio to stop getting tested for coronavirus, despite the state seeing a surge in infections.

GOP House of Representatives member Nino Vitale asked constituents if they were “tired of living in a dictatorship” in a Facebook post on Tuesday and advised that they “STOP GETTING TESTED!”

“It is giving the government an excuse to claim something is happening that is not happening at the magnitude they say it is happening,” the lawmaker claimed.

The republican’s demand comes as Ohio governor Mike DeWine announced that masks will be made mandatory in seven counties where the novel coronavirus is spreading rapidly.

“We are seeing a serious situation,” Gov DeWine said. “We have to take action”.

Rep Vitale attached a photo laying out the details of the order to the post, and pushed residents to “stop listening to these frauds.”

Almost 59,000 people have contracted the novel coronavirus in the state, with a death toll of 2,970 as of Wednesday.

Rep Vitale insisted that the government “keep adding to numbers they have been feeding us from over 3 months ago” and claimed that officials had refrained from discussing the death rate in the area.

“Have you noticed they never talk about deaths anymore, just cases? And they never talk about recoveries,” he said.

On Tuesday the state rose above the 21-day average for both coronavirus infections and deaths after reporting 948 new cases of the disease, 144 infections above the 21 day average of 804, WEWS-TV reported

The state also reported more than double the 21-day average for deaths, recording 43 fatalities from the disease on Tuesday.

In April, Rep Vitale made his personal views on masks clear after citing religious beliefs as his reason to refuse to wear one in line with recommendations.

“This is not the entire world,” Rep Vitale wrote in another lengthy Facebook post, The Hill reported. “This is the greatest nation on earth founded on Judeo-Christian Principles.”

“One of those principles is that we are all created in the image and likeness of God. That image is seen the most by our face. I will not wear a mask,” he continued.

Across the US infections continue to grow with 2.9 million people having tested positive for the novel coronavirus, with a death toll of over 130,000.