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Published 12:37 IST, March 23rd 2020

Fake news debunked: The Italian PM did not breakdown publically due to COVID-19 outbreak

The fake news surrounding the Coronavirus started circulating on the Internet and a news piece is claiming falsely that the Italian President cried publically.

Reported by: Amir Khollam
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The ongoing Coronavirus pandemic has evidently taken a fatal turn in Italy where more than 53,000 cases have been reported. Out of these, five thousand cases have resulted in a fatal outcome. But, the Coronavirus is not the only problem in front of the European country as various questionable news outlets and meme pages across social media are spreading fake news related to Italy.

Recently, a photo of the Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro breaking down publically was falsely claimed to be that of the Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. Check out the post below - 

Also read: Facebook announces ban on ads spreading fake news related to coronavirus

Fake news claims Italian PM shed tears publically due to Coronavirus in Italy

Italian president

Image courtesy - Memes Radar Facebook page

Also read: Putin claims foreign powers spreading fake news about coronavirus in Russia

Fake news debunked

The viral photo going around social media claims that the Italian Prime Minister broke down publically due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. It is fake news as the photo in the post is of the Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. Besides this, the post also claims that the Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte stated that all their resources have been exhausted to the ground due to the Coronavirus in Italy. The post has gone viral now on Facebook as people are unaware of how the Italian Prime Minister looks like and are sharing misinformation without checking facts. To those unaware, here is a photo of the Italian PM Giuseppe Conte below  -

Also read: No, Russia Did Not Unleash Lions On The Street To Keep People In Lockdown

As per reports, the photo is actually of the Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro who broke down in 2019 while narrating a story during the Thanksgiving dinner. The Brazilian President broke down remembering the knife attack which he suffered in 2018. Any statement written in the fake news above has been fabricated as neither the Italian President nor Prime Minister has stated negative remarks about Coronavirus in Italy at any public platform including social media. 

Also read: As fake news and myths about Coronavirus flood social media, PIB Fact Check counters them

On the other hand, the Italian Prime Minister has only been posting inspiring tweets in order to motivate people to fight the Coronavirus in Italy.  In a recent tweet, Giuseppe Conte had posted an inspiring message for the Italian people stating that 60 million citizens of Italy should fight together with strength and courage in order to fight the Coronavirus in Italy. Though the fake news above claims that the Italian Prime Minister has lost all hope fighting the Coronavirus in Italy, Giuseppe Conte's efforts and publically spoken words are suggesting the opposite. 

Also read: What Is Herd Immunity And Can It Help Flatten The Coronavirus Outbreak's Curve?

Updated 12:37 IST, March 23rd 2020