Public warned against viral ‘ fake news ‘ in PH swell as coronavirus cases

Last updated on May 18th, 2021 at 05:36 am

As the number of COVID-19 cases in the country is increasing, the spread of rumors about the disease also seemed to intensify, and the public was warned: look out for fake news.

Theories of fraud and misleading information on the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and coronavirus disease in 2019 have swamped social media, questioning government calls for calm as false reports have been mounted.

In the Philippines, the Department of Health (DOH) has registered so far 49 confirmed cases of COVID-19, a respiratory disease that has infected 110,000 people worldwide and killed at least 3,000, most of which came from the epicenter of the epidemic, the Chinese province of Hubei. 

No DOH order to store ready-to-eat-food DOH — the department at the forefront of disease prevention — is also waging a war on misinformation.

Here are some of the misleading information that people should stop spreading:

No DOH order to stock ready-to-eat-food DOH — the department at the forefront of disease prevention — is also waging a war on misinformation.

The health department has debunked a bogus advisory circulated on Twitter, saying it is advising people to store ready-to-eat food because of Metro Manila’s supposed imminent shutdown due to COVID-19 transmission.

No neighborhood lockdown yet.

The Department of Interior and Local Government also clarified that Metro Manila and any other COVID-19-hit areas are not yet lockdown ordered.

In a recent interview, Secretary of the Interior Eduardo Año clarified that despite the dangers raised by COVID-19, they have not seen any pressing reason yet to warrant a group lockdown.

President Rodrigo Duterte and Secretary of Health Francisco Duque III agreed that the National Capital Region (NCR) lockdown at this stage is still “premature.”

Not to avoid certain malls, DOH hotels have flagged a post circulated on social media urging the public to avoid such malls, hotels, and establishments as “fake news.” The message says verified patients with coronavirus have wandered around some of the famous NCR malls and establishments.

No paid compulsory leave for Cebu workers; no school closure A report claims that Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia has ordered companies in her jurisdiction to give their employees a “payable compulsory leave” due to the coronavirus threat. It also said that, for two weeks, all schools in Cebu were ordered close.

To order to prevent infection, officials urge people to frequently wash their hands, cover their mouth and nose while coughing and sneezing, and avoid close contact with those with respiratory symptoms.