Indore: A fake coronavirus message on social media caused panic in the city specially among residents of Tilak Nagar on Wednesday. The message stated that four persons including shop owner and her three employees were isolated as they were were found positive patients of Covid-19.
The fake message also asked people to stock up essential goods in their houses as general stores have been shut down in Jail Road. After reading the message, people forwarded it to their kith and kin and inquired about it.
The viral message started circulating on Tuesday evening, which put tensed health department officials on their toes. Later, divisional commissioner Akash Tripathi appealed to people to ignore fake messages. “It was a fake message circulating on social media about Tilak Nagar,” Tripathi told media.
Meanwhile, chief medical and health officer Dr Praveen Jadia informed about another fake message of bringing COVID-19 positive patients to Indore from Ujjain.
“There is no positive patient of COVID-19 so far. We have sent samples of 18 patients and reports of 17 patients have tested negative while one report is pending,” he added.
Action will be taken: Chief medical and health officer Dr Praveen Jadia said circulating fake messages about COVID-19, which is declared pandemic by WHO, is a criminal offence. Action will be taken against people circulating fake messages under cyber crime penal provisions.