Last Updated on July 9, 2024 by Nivedita
Quick Take
A Facebook message claims that the third wave is coming in India. It advises people to go under a self imposes lockdown. The message further claims that various countries across the world are going under strict lockdowns to control the spread of Coronavirus. We FactCheck and find that the claim is Mostly False.
The Claim
The viral message on social media reads, ‘Third Wave to hit india’. It advises people to go in a self lockdown immediately and also asks them to wear double masks. A copy of the message is given below and an archived link is here. The post also claims that Canada, Saudi Arabia, Columbia, Spain, and other countries have imposed lockdown once again to control the third wave of the COVID-19 virus.
Fact Check
Is the third wave set to hit India?
We searched and realized that the message has been doing rounds since December 2020. It can be seen here and here. The old message predicted a second wave with a similar advisory attached.
Also, a definative timeline for ‘third wave’ in India has not been shared by any Govt. or Health organizations. Various experts have predicted probable timeline and intensity for the COVID-19 third wave in India.
Is the advisory dangerous?
The general advisory is not dangerous. It falls in line with expert advices in favour of double masking and social distancing.
Are the claims about lockdown in other countries false?
We have verified the claims of multiple countries going into lockdown. This part of the message is completely false. Various countries are at different stages of combating the pandemic. As of the date of publishing the report, multiple countries have started unlock or partial unlock procedures in their countries. The daily death numbers of Canada and Brazil are inaccurate too. As mentioned before, the same claims have been shared since December 2020.
A live map of the lockdown stringency in various countries has been put up by Financial Times here. Also, the University of Oxford tracks the response of various Govts. across the world towards the pandemic. The same can be viewed here.
In a misleading claim it was told that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared a lockdown due to the onset of third wave of Coronavirus infection in India.