Fact check: Is Khar-Bandra on high alert due to the coronavirus outbreak?

The ongoing coronavirus outbreak has evidently taken over the world and forced people to observe strict social distancing. But, the ongoing pandemic has also resulted in a large number of fake news emerging without any trustable sources. Fake messages on WhatsApp have been circulating and claiming things which haven't been officially announced. 

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Claim - 

A recent forward doing rounds on social media is suggesting that various places in Mumbai suburbs like Khan and Bandra have been put on a high alert. The messages claim furthermore than entire building in Khar area of Mumbai suburbs has been quarantined entirely. Check out the WhatsApp forwards below - 

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Rating - False

Though various reports are suggesting that a number of cases in Mumbai have emerged from the suburban side, no official statement has noted the exact places over there. As seen globally, if a building had been especially quarantined, it would have certain barricades and restrictions for people to not get in contact with the virus. But no such special changes have been made to the Sandeep building in Khar. The areas of Khar-Bandra-Santacruz have not been put on high alert officially in any form. People living in the localities in question also raised their voice on Twitter, where rumours about a medical store in Khar getting shut due to coronavirus was debunked. 

Origin- 

One of the biggest problems along with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has evidently been that of fake news. Various forwards like these have been going around on WhatsApp, where people can easily spread fake news without confirming it from anyone else. WhatsApp forwards have evidently become an uncontrolled nuisance which fuel fear in people's minds about the ongoing pandemic, the messages above are one of the examples of the same. 

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Google Trends analysis of coronavirus in Khar-Bandra

The coronavirus outbreak has evidently put paranoia in the minds of the people. Hence, any leak or information about the coronavirus leads to an upward trend on google searches about the same. Similarly, various people searched on Google about coronavirus in Khar-Bandra. Check out Google Trends analysis below - 

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