At least five persons, including a woman, have been arrested in Odisha’s Bhadrak district on the charge of posting false messages on different social media platforms to create panic about the COVID-19 pandemic.
While two persons were arrested from Bhadrak town police station area for posting false messages on WhatsApp, the woman was arrested from the same locality for posting false messages on Facebook on Wednesday, according to Bhadrak district police.
Interactive map of confirmed coronavirus cases in India
The fourth and fifth accused were arrested from Dhamara and Tihidi police station areas.
Bhadrak district Superintendent of Police Rajesh Pandit has requested people not to post any unverified messages on social media.
The accused persons had posted false messages relating to the spread of COVID-19 after a 29-year-old professional, who had returned from Dubai, tested positive for coronavirus on Tuesday. The youth has been admitted to SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack.
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Earlier, at least six persons, including a schoolteacher, were arrested for posting false messages on social media in different parts of the State.
State government’s chief spokesperson for COVID-19 Subroto Bagchi on Wednesday warned that any rumour relating to COVID-19 will be dealt with severely. The government will take strong action against rumour-mongers and action for any fake news shall be taken against persons concerned under the IT Act and Epidemic Act, he said.
Fifth case
A 60-year-old man from Bhubaneswar, who was undergoing treatment at AIIMS Bhubaneswar, tested positive and became the fifth COVID-19 case in the State on Wednesday night.
According to the State Health & Family Welfare Department, four COVID-19 patients were undergoing treatment in the State at present after the State’s second COVID-19 patient, belonging to Bhubaneswar, was discharged from AIIMS Bhubaneswar on Wednesday. The youth, who tested positive after his return from the UK, had completely recovered and later tested negative for the disease.
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A total of 900 samples were tested in the State till Wednesday, of which five had tested positive. Those who tested negative on Wednesday include 15 persons who had returned to the State after attending a religious conference at Nizamuddin in Delhi last month.
As per latest reports, 22 persons, including seven foreigners associated with Tablighi Jamaat, had been traced in the State and all were in government quarantine. While 15 of them had tested negative, the report of others were awaited, according to the Health Department.
