CLAIM:
The World Health Organization is imposing or recommending the lockdowns to address the rising mpox cases. India is among countries preparing for a lockdown
FACT CHECK:
WHO has debunked the rumours, saying it has neither the authority nor any plan to recommend lockdowns and that the disease can be controlled by “ensuring surveillance, good clinic care and access to other countermeasures.” No plans for a lockdown in India either.
Social media is rife with false information that WHO is mulling lockdowns in response to surging cases of mpox around the world.
Take this Facebook post for instance, which says “BREAKING: The World Health Organization has reportedly instructed world governments to prepare for lockdowns due to monkeypox outbreak”.
This US-based Youtube channel, Snyder Reports, with 436 thousand subscribers, ran a 9.04 minute broadcast titled “Countries Locking Down: Mpox Emergency Begins," which goes on to say that India is among the countries preparing for a lockdown.
“In India, they are already preparing airports and ports of entry to be prepared for lockdowns, to quarantine anybody, and I mean anybody, that looks like mpox,” claims the speaker.
Another Youtube channel ‘Blind to Billionaire’ with 471 thousand followers has in its video, viewed 14 thousand times, termed the new strain of mpox as ten times more deadly, warranting lockdowns “in United States and the other countries.”
India has no plans for a lockdown to control mpox
Currently, there are no reports of any impending lockdown in India. According to sources in the Union health ministry, quoted by Times of India, there hasn’t been any significant surge in cases of the viral disease and the future risk of surge also remains low. However, the central government has directed airport, ports and border authorities to remain vigilant in response to the global rise in Mpox cases.
