The viral circular regarding the closing down of hotels and restaurants is Fake.
A circular allegedly issued by the Indian Ministry of Tourism has been going on rounds especially in the form of of WhatsApp forwards. It issues a shutdown of all restaurants, hotels and resorts till 15th October in the wake of the pandemic. The circular reads:
Truth
The above circular is fake. Many organisations including PIB and the Ministry of Tourism had issues statements regarding the same. A closer look at the post reveals a few details:
- The post is riddled with many grammatical errors that no official announcement will carry
- The website url indiantourism.org as mentioned in the circular is non-existent
- There is a visible colour variation and edits made on the box in which the signatures of the concerned are enclosed in
- The template varies from the previous circulars put out by the Ministry of Tourism
Be cautious of #Fake order claiming that hotels/resturants will remain closed till 15th October 2020 due to #Coronavirusoutbreak.#PIBFactCheck: The order is Fake and has NOT been issued by Ministry of Tourism.
Do not believe in rumours! pic.twitter.com/efRx3PWTj0
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) April 8, 2020
The Ministry of Tourism posted the below notice on their Facebook page allegedly after the spread of misinformation:
- Is the video titled, “Amit Shah disowns Modi” being circulated on WhatsApp, a mobile-formatting virus? - June 7, 2020
- Was the White House stormed in by protestors amidst the death of African-American George Floyd? - June 4, 2020
- Video of a man made to lick spit in Surat shared with a communal angle - June 1, 2020
