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Since Friday, several audios and messages have been shared on social media and among internet users in Morocco. «Close your windows this evening, keep your children at home and don't leave your laundry outside: a helicopter will fly over your city, spraying chemicals to kill the new coronavirus». This message was denounced by the city of Casablanca and was dubbed «fake» by the authorities.
In a statement issued on the same day, the city denied having been behind said audio and warned against the spread of fake news amid the outbreak. Meanwhile, it urged the city’s inhabitants to comply with the preventive measures announced by the Health Ministry through its official channels and social media platforms.
Fictitious organized gangs and being exposed to the sun to «kill the virus»
Said audio is not the only fake news circulating on social media these days. A viral post has warned Moroccans against a «fake medical team», which may knock on their doors to provide help and steal their belongings once in.
Shared on Facebook since Thursday, the post was debunked by the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN). In a tweet, police warned against this fake «warning», as well as all others about coronavirus in Morocco. They also launched investigations to identify and arrest the people behind these posts.
During the same week, police in Souk Larbaa arrested an individual for spreading false news about the coronavirus through a loudspeaker. Using an exclusive hashtag, DGSN has also urged internet users to avoid sharing unverified content.
The spread of the virus has also given birth to several tips on social media. Most of them are unnecessary and useless to combat the virus. While some content on the internet urged people to drink hot beverages, other random posts advised them to be exposed to the sun and drink water every 15 minutes to avoid contagion. However, neither sunbeams nor hot drinks have been proven to protect against the novel virus.
The spread of fake news on the coronavirus kept circulating even after a series of press conferences held by the health authorities to brief Moroccans on the current situation. During the weekend, Health Minister Khalid Ait Taleb categorically denied the existence of an «epidemic outbreak» of the novel coronavirus in a district of Casablanca, saying that the situation is «under control».
#مكافحة_الأخبار_الزائفة
— DGSN MAROC (@DGSN_MAROC) March 12, 2020
إيداع شخص تحت الحراسة النظرية على خلفية بحث قضائي، لنشره أخبارًا زائفة بواسطة مكبر للصوت في أحد أحياء مدينة سوق الأربعاء الغرب، يزعم فيها انتشار #وباء_كورونا_المستجد، ويحرض فيها المواطنين على عدم إرسال أبنائهم لمؤسساتهم التعليمية. pic.twitter.com/4LGHFp00tn
«The only confirmed cases recorded in Morocco are those that came from abroad and there is no outbreak anywhere», the minister said, debunking one of the most shared posts on social media. «The health condition of confirmed cases is not worrying and constantly improving», he said.
The minister condemned the spread of fake news, which, according to him, aims to undermine efforts made to stop the spread of the virus.
