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Published 19:10 IST, April 8th 2020

Fact check: Did the Ministry Of Tourism order all hotels to stay shut till October 15?

Fact check: A recent viral message which claimed that restaurants/hotels in India will be shutting down till October 15, 2020, has been proven wrong.

Reported by: Amir Khollam
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The ongoing coronavirus outbreak has led to a surge of fake stories or messages doing rounds on the internet. It is unsure whether the questionable sources of such fake messages revolve around creating mischief or a sense of paranoia in people's mind. But, it is important to know if the messages doing rounds on social media have any credibility to them. 

Also read: Fact Check - Is the WhatsApp video of body bags in a New York hospital true?

Claim - 

A recent forwarded message on WhatsApp is claiming that the ministry of tourism of India has issued an order which states that hotels, restaurants and resorts will be staying shut till October 15, 2020, due to the coronavirus outbreak. The message stated that the order has come directly from the ministry. 

Also read: Fact Check: Is the video of numerous baby chicks hatching from Gujarat, India?

Rating - False

Neither social media accounts or the official website of the ministry of tourism of India have issued such a notice. The claim made by the forwarded message has no credibility to it. Besides this, there have been no other piece of verified information which even hints at the claims made by the fake message, 

Also read: Fact Check: Has the Ministry of Health issued fresh guidelines for PPE kit specifications?

Origin -

The message reportedly first started doing rounds on WhatsApp. The messaging application WhatsApp has evidently become a hub for people to send fake messages. Besides this, the video was later also shared by various other social media platforms. 

Google Trends analysis -

The message circulating on WhatsApp intrigued a lot of people to search for its credibility on Google. This resulted in a surge of search results for people searching for the same. Check it out below -

go corona

Also read: Fact Check: Did Solapur Airport catch fire after the 9 PM candlelight vigil on April 5?

go corona

Also read: Fact Check: Were a group of Whales spotted near the 'Bombay High' Oil Rig?

Updated 19:10 IST, April 8th 2020

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