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Another nationwide lockdown from 25 Sept? Govt dismisses fake news

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The Centre recently dismissed the news circulating across social media that it was mulling to re-impose a nationwide lockdown from 25 September due to a surge in novel coronavirus cases in the country. The Press Information Bureau checked facts and announced that the news was fake in a post with a "Fake News" alert.

A circular quoting National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) stated that it had called for another lockdown from September 25. There was also a supposed screenshot of the order which was widely being circulated.

"In order to contain the spread of Covid-19 and decrease the mortality rate in the country, the National Disaster Management Authority, along with the Planning commission, hereby urges the government of India and directs the Prime Minister office, ministry of home affairs to re-impose a strict nationwide lockdown of 46 days starting from midnight September 25, 2020. Maintaining the supply chain of essential commodities in the country, therefore hereby NDMA is issuing a prior notice to the ministry to plan accordingly," says the "order", which was dated 10 September.

Press Information Bureau said the order in circulation was fake, and that NDMA had not issued any such order to re-impose lockdown.

Amid the surging cases and the government's decision to contain the Covid-19 spread in the country, a nationwide lockdown was imposed in India on 25 March. However, since June, Centre has been gradually opening up businesses in order to kickstart the economy while advocating strict Covid-19 protocols for the citizens including wearing of masks and observing social distancing.

Meanwhile, being the world's second worst-hit nation in terms of coronavirus cases, India currently has more than 48 lakh Covid-19 positive patients.