A plethora of fake information has been flooding WhatsApp chats about the COVID-19. The pandemic is now being called an ‘infodemic’.
In an audio clip, an alleged doctor from Telangana is claiming that lockdown will be extended for the next 2 months till at least June 1. One of our community members asked us to verify the claim.
‘Since the people in this group are my close friends I am sending you a voice message. Kindly listen. India will be under lockdown for the next two months. So arrange two months ration, medicines and cash for the next two months. Based on the WHO reports to India, minimum lockdown period will be till June 1st. Please note this and manage the rations and other essentials,’ the doctor says in the clip.
He further claims that the three weeks lockdown will be extended and after a week, banks and ration shops will be closed. The doctor, in the end, says he got the message from one of his relatives who is a director at the World Health Organisation.
Online media outlet ‘The Print’ had earlier published an article titled ”Modi govt could extent coronavirus lockdown by a week as migrant exodus triggers alarm.’ It stated that the possible extension of the lockdown is because ‘the migrant exodus from national capital may have partly defeated its purpose’.
The article also claimed that while one official said that the lockdown could be extended by a week, the other two officials were of the opinion that a two-month lockdown would be needed to contain COVID-19.
Claim:
The 21-day lockdown will be extended.
Fact Check:
The claim is misleading. Prasar Bharati News Services in their official Twitter handle mentioned that they reached out to the Cabinet Secretary regarding the claims made in the article, who denied any such extension plans.
‘PBNS got in touch with the Cabinet Secretary on this news article. The Cabinet Secretary expressed surprise & said that there is no such plan of extending the lockdown,’ the Tweet read.
FAKE NEWS ALERT ð¨ PBNS got in touch with the Cabinet Secretary on this news article. The Cabinet Secretary expressed surprise & said that there is no such plan of extending the lockdown. https://t.co/CrLlp6f7X5
â Prasar Bharati News Services (@PBNS_India) March 30, 2020
Therefore, it is clear that as of now 21-day lockdown will not be extended.
If you have any news that you believe needs to be fact-checked, please email us at factcheck@thelogicalindian.com or WhatsApp at 6364000343
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