The top four UK mobile operators have issued a joint statement asking for help to stop people burning 5G towers. Multiple cell towers were targeted in the UK last week in apparent arson attacks, after online theories have been linking the spread of the coronavirus pandemic to the roll out of 5G. There’s no scientific evidence to suggest a link, but the theories have been spreading widely on social networks like Facebook.

The latest news about South Korean scientists warning that COVID-19 can spontaneously “reactivate” in cured patients seem to only give more tinder to 5G-related theories about the Coronavirus.

“Not only are these claims baseless, they are harmful for the people and businesses that rely on the continuity of our services,” says a joint statement from EE, o2, Three, and Vodafone. “They have also led to the abuse of our engineers and, in some cases, prevented essential network maintenance taking place.”

All of the main UK networks are now calling on people to help stop the spread of disinformation online, and to report abuse of key workers helping to maintain networks. “Please help us to make this stop,” the networks ask in a typically British-natured way. “If you witness abuse of our key workers please report it. If you see misinformation, please call it out.”

Vodafone confirmed to the The Verge that four cell towers were targeted in a 24-hour period on Friday. EE said that one tower in Birmingham didn’t even provide 5G services but was set on fire anyway. The UK government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) has branded the theories “crackpot” and called on social networks to do more to stop them spreading.

The UK’s culture secretary, Oliver Dowden, is also planning to hold virtual meetings with representatives from a number of tech companies this week to discuss the problem. YouTube revealed at the weekend that it’s reducing the number of videos it recommends which spread false claims that 5G is linked to the coronavirus.

Mobile networks in the UK are classified as critical national infrastructure, and the attacks come at a crucial time as the UK battles the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Vodafone CEO Nick Jeffrey called the attacks a “matter of national security,” and pleaded with people not to share the any theories related to Coronavirus and 5G.

With the coronavirus pandemic quickly spreading, U.S. health officials have changed their advice on face masks and now recommend people wear cloth masks in public areas where social distancing can be difficult, such as grocery stores.

Research on SARS, another coronavirus, found that N95 masks were highly effective at blocking transmission of that virus. Even ill-fitting medical face masks have been found to interrupt airborne particles and viruses, keeping them from reaching as far when someone sneezes.

The universal use of mouth and nose covering with masks is a low-risk intervention that can only assist in reducing the spread of this terrible illness. If everyone wears a mask, individuals protect one another, reducing overall community transmission. It could even remind people not to touch their faces after touching potentially contaminated surfaces.

Amazon Bans Sale Of N95 And Surgical Masks To General Public – Where Can I Buy N95 Masks Now?

Amazon has banned the sale of N95 and surgical masks to the general public, claiming it would restrict sales to hospitals and government organizations dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ban took effect April 1, according to Recode, after the company said in a forum for Amazon sellers that the ban includes “facial shields, surgical gowns, surgical gloves, and large-volume sanitizers.”

Ok, but where can I Buy N95 masks now?

With Pharmacies, Walmart and nearly all other physical stores out of stock, Amazon out of the game and ebay selling mostly gas masks from China, there’s not much place left to buy N95 masks to protect yourself in th Covid-19 crisis and even if they claim to sell N95 masks, it’s mostly cheap fake masks that won’t offer any protection at all:

As you may already know, the Darknet is selling pretty much everything that is hard to get by in stores or completely illegal. So even if you come by to find a shady shop or entity selling overpriced masks, you never know if they really are what they are advertised (N95 standard) and work and you also never know if they will ever arrive. However, there are still some online shops that are selling the very last N95 masks, one of them being a small company called Amazyble.com.