US halts sale of bleach product touted as 'miracle' virus cure

The US Justice Department moved to halt sales of a chemical agent marketed by a self-described church group in Florida as a "miracle" coronavirus cure.

The department filed a complaint on Friday against the Genesis II Church of Health and Healing, and several of its key members, for their promotion of "Miracle Mineral Solution" (MMS).

A federal judge in Florida quickly granted a temporary injunction halting its sale and distribution.

The church had claimed MMS would help "cure, mitigate, treat, or prevent coronavirus, which includes COVID-19, as well as other diseases including Alzheimer's, autism, brain cancer, HIV/AIDS, and multiple sclerosis," the Justice Department said in a statement.

"MMS is a chemical product which, when combined with the included activator, creates a powerful bleach product," the department said
In a statement, Genesis said: "They are attacking a Church Sacrament. This is something that is 'sacred' or 'holy' to us as a Church."
"The Genesis II Church of Healing has continued to actively place consumers at risk by peddling potentially dangerous and unapproved chlorine dioxide products," FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said in a statement. "We will not stand for this."