Govt Spraying Medicine in the Air to Kill COVID-19? It’s Fake!

The message is being falsely attributed to Municipal Corporations in different states like Chandigarh and Karnataka.

CLAIM

While cases of the novel coronavirus are increasing exponentially in India, a message is being widely shared on social media advising people against stepping out of their houses. The message claims that the government is planning to spray some ‘medicine’ in the air to kill COVID-19.

The message is being shared in different states and is being attributed to their respective municipal corporations.

Multiple social media users addressed Bangalore citizens through the message. One such Facebook post attributes the message to BBMP, the administrative body of the Greater Bangalore metropolitan area.

Hello, Kindly request you not to come out of your house after 10 pm tonight till tomorrow 5 am.... As BBMP will be...

Posted by Asadulla Farhana on Wednesday, March 18, 2020

(An archived version of the post can be viewed here.)

Hello, every one in Bangalore kindly request you not to come out of your house after 10 pm tonight till tomorrow 5...

Posted by Mr.Samir Das social worker $ motivational speaker on Wednesday, March 18, 2020

(An archived version of the post can be viewed here.)

The same message was shared by many other users in connection to other states as well.

#Chandigarh Message from health authorities chandigarh :
Hello i kindly request you not to come out of your house after 10 pm tonight till tomorrow 5 am.... As their will be spraying medicine in the air in order to kill the COVID-19!!
Share this information to all your friends

— Bold_Monk (@BoldMonk22) March 18, 2020

(An archived version of the tweet can be viewed here.)

Mumbai People plz note:* May be After 2 days all Transport system will be stop so please Purchase all necessary food...

Posted by Danny Ji on Wednesday, March 18, 2020

(An archived version of the post can be viewed here.)

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WHAT’S THE TRUTH

False.

Various state governments have issued a clarification and rubbished the rumour. The Department of Information and Public Relations in Karnataka released a clarification and said, “No such official information has been sent out by the government”.

Further, reacting to the message, BBMP Mayor M Goutham Kumar reiterated that no such orders have been passed by the administrative body.

There is no such directive from BBMP. Don't fall prey to rumours. Call 104 for any help.

Help us to help you. #COVID2019india https://t.co/J7sZllErVK

— M Goutham Kumar (@BBMP_MAYOR) March 18, 2020

Even the Delhi government refuted the rumour calling it ‘fake’.

We also tried to contact the central government’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to get clarification on the matter. The story will be updated as and when we receive a reply. But the responses from the state governments make it evident that the message is a hoax and there is no truth to it.

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