BOOM

Trending Searches

    SUPPORT
    BOOM

    Trending News

      • Fact Check 
        • Fast Check
        • Politics
        • Business
        • Entertainment
        • Social
        • Sports
        • World
      • Law
      • Explainers
      • News 
        • All News
      • Decode 
        • Impact
        • Scamcheck
        • Life
        • Voices
      • Media Buddhi 
        • Digital Buddhi
        • Senior Citizens
        • Videos
      • Web Stories
      • BOOM Research
      • BOOM Labs
      • Deepfake Tracker
      • Videos 
        • Facts Neeti
      • Home-icon
        Home
      • About Us-icon
        About Us
      • Authors-icon
        Authors
      • Team-icon
        Team
      • Careers-icon
        Careers
      • Internship-icon
        Internship
      • Contact Us-icon
        Contact Us
      • Methodology-icon
        Methodology
      • Correction Policy-icon
        Correction Policy
      • Non-Partnership Policy-icon
        Non-Partnership Policy
      • Cookie Policy-icon
        Cookie Policy
      • Grievance Redressal-icon
        Grievance Redressal
      • Republishing Guidelines-icon
        Republishing Guidelines
      • Fact Check-icon
        Fact Check
        Fast Check
        Politics
        Business
        Entertainment
        Social
        Sports
        World
      • Law-icon
        Law
      • Explainers-icon
        Explainers
      • News-icon
        News
        All News
      • Decode-icon
        Decode
        Impact
        Scamcheck
        Life
        Voices
      • Media Buddhi-icon
        Media Buddhi
        Digital Buddhi
        Senior Citizens
        Videos
      • Web Stories-icon
        Web Stories
      • BOOM Research-icon
        BOOM Research
      • BOOM Labs-icon
        BOOM Labs
      • Deepfake Tracker-icon
        Deepfake Tracker
      • Videos-icon
        Videos
        Facts Neeti
      Trending Tags
      TRENDING
      • #Operation Sindoor
      • #Pahalgam Terror Attack
      • #Narendra Modi
      • #Rahul Gandhi
      • #Waqf Amendment Bill
      • #Arvind Kejriwal
      • #Deepfake
      • #Artificial Intelligence
      • Home
      • World
      • Coronavirus
      • Australian Prime Minister Did Not...
      Coronavirus

      Australian Prime Minister Did Not Order A National Shutdown

      Misleading posts, identical to Malaysia's lockdown announcement circulate online, after Australia issues travel advisory.

      By - AFP |
      Published -  20 March 2020 3:48 AM IST
    • Boomlive
      Australian Prime Minister Did Not Order A National Shutdown


      A message shared repeatedly in multiple Facebook posts claims the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison was set to implement a nationwide "shut down" from March 18, 2020 in an effort to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. The claim is misleading; the Australian Prime Minister's Office refuted the details of the post; Australia's government told its citizens on March 18 not to travel abroad and warned those already overseas to come home but said it did not order a "lockdown"; AFP found the wording of the misleading posts was identical to Malaysia's announcement of a nationwide lockdown.

      This Facebook post was published on March 17, 2020.

      The post claims the Australian government was set to announce a 14-day nationwide "shut down" from March 18 to March 31, 2020, banning gatherings and inward and outbound travel, as well as closing schools and "non-essential" infrastructure; citing "a good source in government".

      It reads in part: "Following from a good source in government. Shit just got real / HUGE Government announcement coming tomorrow. Complete shut down"

      Below is a screenshot of the misleading Facebook post:

      The COVID-19 pandemic has killed more than 8,800 people worldwide and infected almost 210,000 others, as reported here by AFP on March 19.

      Australia's government told its citizens on March 18 not to travel abroad and warned those already overseas to come home as it took unprecedented steps to choke off the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, AFP reported here.

      A similar claim about new restrictions in Australia due to the coronavirus pandemic was also shared here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here on Facebook.

      The claim is misleading.

      In response to the misleading posts, the Australian Prime Minister's Office directed AFP to the comments made by Prime Minister Scott Morrison on March 18, 2020.

      ALSO READ: Ancient Medicinal Herb Drink To Treat Coronavirus? A FactCheck

      "There's a lot of misinformation out there. There's a lot of ridiculous stuff that circulating on text messages and internets about lockdowns and all of this and sadly, there's even been cases of wilful fraud and misrepresent and fraudulent preparation of documents, even recordings alleging to represent Cabinet meetings and things of this nature. Don't believe it, it's rubbish. Go to health.gov.au. Go to the relevant state health websites to get your information on what's happening. Avoid all that nonsense that you're seeing on social media," he said.

      Morrison added: "We'll continue to update you as regularly as is possible with clear decisions on what we're doing, but on the misinformation just ignore it. If you hear it from me, if you hear it from a Premier, if you hear it from Dr Murphy, if you hear it from those official sources and websites, that's the information you should follow."

      Morrison ordered a halt to "non-essential" indoor gatherings of more than 100 people, on top of an existing ban on outdoor events of more than 500, AFP reported on March 18. Although he called the extraordinary travel crackdown an "indefinite ban" on foreign trips, the advice released by the government was couched as a recommendation.

      ALSO READ: Coronavirus in India: Precautions, Do's and Don'ts

      Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt also dismissed claims of a lockdown in this tweet posted on March 17, 2020.

      The misleading claim appears to have been copied from the text describing lockdown measures in Malaysia.

      ALSO READ: Follow 'Janata Curfew' On Sunday, Says PM Narendra Modi: 5 Key Points

      The text in the misleading claim is identical to this article on the news website Free Malaysia Today, about the Malaysian government's "movement control order"; the nationwide lockdown imposed on March 16, 2020 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

      Below is a screenshot of the article:

      ALSO READ: WHO: Volcanic Ash Does Not Kill Novel Coronavirus, Hazardous To Health

      The same six lockdown measures are also listed in this speech on the Malaysian Prime Minister's website.

      Australian journalist Osman Faruqi also highlighted the similarities between the misleading claim and the Malaysian announcement in this tweet.

      Follow BOOM's live blog on latest updates around the COVID-19 pandemic here.

      (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by BOOM staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

      Tags

      CoronavirusMuhyiddin YassinScott MorrisonCoronavirus rumoursCoronavirus updateCOVID-19SARS-CoV-2National ShutdownJanta CurfewFAKE NEWSFact CheckFacebookSocial DistancingAustralia
      Read Full Article
      Claim :   Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison to implement a nationwide \"shut down\" in an effort to curb the spread of the novel Coronavirus.
      Claimed By :  Social Media pages
      Fact Check :  Misleading
      Next Story
      Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors.
      Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker. Please reload after ad blocker is disabled.
      X

      Subscribe to BOOM Newsletters

      👉 No spam, no paywall — but verified insights.

      Please enter a Email Address
      Subscribe for free!

      Stay Ahead of Misinformation!

      Please enter a Email Address
      Subscribe Now🛡️ 100% Privacy Protected | No Spam, Just Facts
      By subscribing, you agree with the Terms & conditions and Privacy Policy connected to the offer

      Thank you for subscribing!

      You’re now part of the BOOM community.

      Or, Subscribe to receive latest news via email
      Subscribed Successfully...
      Copy HTMLHTML is copied!
      There's no data to copy!