POISON's RIKKI ROCKETT Blasts People Not Taking Social Distancing Seriously

A month after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus a pandemic, many people are still not taking social distancing seriously to avoid the rapid spread of COVID-19.

After the initial outbreak of COVID-19, conspiracy theories, misinformation, and disinformation emerged regarding the origin, scale, prevention, treatment, and other aspects of the disease, with some believing the pandemic is a hoax perpetrated by the Democratic Party to politically damage President Donald Trump, or that it's a secret bioweapon unleashed on the U.S. by China.

One of the most recent, baseless conspiracy theories surrounding the virus is that 5G networks — the next generation of wireless technology that's steadily being rolled out around the world — are fueling the global coronavirus pandemic.

On Friday, POISON drummer Rikki Rockett took to his Facebook page to address the false information surrounding the crisis, writing: "If people wanna insist on Covid-19 being a conspiracy theory and they don't wanna social distance, fine. However, come within 6 feet of me and you'll get a frickin' baseball bat in the face!" He later clarified: "I guess I should have added. If you are sick and come within 6 feet of me."

Experts say "social distancing" is the best way to curtail the spread and dampen the impact of the coronavirus on the population.

The Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) defines "social distancing" as the act of "remaining out of congregate settings, avoiding mass gatherings and maintaining distance (approximately 6 feet) from others when possible."

More than 1.7 million coronavirus cases have been reported worldwide and more than 103,000 deaths so far, putting public health systems and emergency services under immense pressure.

Rockett was declared cancer free in 2016 after undergoing an experimental treatment. He was diagnosed with oral cancer back in 2015.