A post has been shared multiple times on Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter by India-based users alongside a claim that the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued guidelines on COVID-19 lockdown.
Below is a screenshot of the misleading post:, The post states, in part: “*WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION PROTOCOL&PROCEDURE OF LOCKDOWN PERIODS FOR CONTROLLING ON MOST DANGEROUS VIRUS / STEP 1 - 1 DAY. STEP 2- 21 DAYS. AFTER 5 DAYS. STEP 3- 28 DAYS. AFTER 5 DAYS. STEP 4 - 15 DAYS”., It goes on to describe\xa0a\xa0timeline when the Indian government is expected to follow the purported WHO guidelines, starting on March 22 and ending June 10., According to the WHO’s April 13\xa0report, at least 106,000 people\xa0have been killed by COVID-19 and nearly 1.7 million others have been infected worldwide., In an effort to counter the\xa0COVID-19 crisis, India on March 24, 2020, announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown. Here is an AFP report on the government decision., Similar claims have also been shared here and here on Facebook and here and here on Twitter., However, the claim is false., A WHO representative to India told AFP\xa0during a telephone conversation on April 5, 2020: “This is a fake advisory, WHO does not have any guidelines for a lockdown.”, "The WHOs regional office for Southeast Asia also refuted the false claim\xa0in this\xa0tweet published on April 5, 2020.", Messages being circulated on social media as WHO protocol for lockdown are baseless and FAKE.\n\t\tWHO does NOT have any protocols for lockdowns. @MoHFW_INDIA @PIB_India @UNinIndia, It reads: \xa0“Messages being circulated on social media as WHO protocol for lockdown are baseless and fake. WHO does not have any protocols for lockdowns.", India’s state-run Press Information Bureau also\xa0issued this tweet on April 5, 2020, which shows a screenshot of the misleading post overlaid with a “FAKE!” stamp., #PIBFactCheck\n\t\tClaim : A so-called circular, said to be from WHO is floating around on whatsapp, saying that it has announced a lockdown schedule.\n\t\tFact : @WHO has already tweeted it as #Fake ⬇️https://t.co/GB7rQ0t9lJ pic.twitter.com/3M5RBLoA3i, , , Copyright © AFP 2017-2020.  All rights reserved.  Users can access and consult this website and use the share features available for personal, private, and non-commercial purposes.  Any other use, in particular any reproduction, communication to the public or distribution of the content of this website, in whole or in part, for any other purpose and/or by any other means, without a specific licence agreement signed with AFP, is strictly prohibited.  The subject matter depicted or included via links within the Fact Checking content is provided to the extent necessary for correct understanding of the verification of the information concerned.  AFP has not obtained any rights from the authors or copyright owners of this third party content and shall incur no liability in this regard.  AFP and its logo are registered trademarks.
World Health Organization confirmed 'protocol' on COVID-19 lockdown is fake | AFP Fact Check