A news link is viral from a Kannada web portal with the title ‘Lockdown in India to extend up to September’. It has created panic among the citizens. Many people shared the news link with the Media Scanner team for fact-checking.
Fact:
The article mischievously writes the title that “World Health Organization has recommended lockdown up to September”. Nowhere in the article it had quoted any personnel from the WHO but has just shared a press briefing of the World Health Organization. Although WHO warned countries that lifting lockdown can reignite virus, it didn’t mention anything about the lockdown in India in the briefing.
The article claims that editor of the health journal-Lancet, Richard Horton has recommended for lockdown up to September. But we couldn’t find any statement by Richard Horton supporting the claim.
In an interview given to India Today on 23rd April Richard Horton has advised for 10 more weeks of lockdown.
So the claim of the news portal that the WHO has recommended lockdown up to September is false.
