ORLANDO, Fla. – Text messages floating around warning of a national quarantine and lockdown to stop the spread of coronavirus are not factual, according to the White House’s National Security Council.
The Associated Press reports that messages were fabricated by a foreign entity in order to incite fear among Americans who are already on edge as the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise daily.
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“Text message rumors of a national #quarantine are FAKE,” the National Security Council tweeted on Sunday night. “There is no national lockdown.”
On Monday, President Donald Trump addressed the rumors during a news conference alongside the country’s coronavirus task force.
He said “at this point” he’s not considering a nationwide quarantine or curfew but he added that he’s keeping an eye on certain areas that are considered hot spots.
Americans are also being urged to avoid groups of 10 people or more, restaurants, bars and travel, although Trump said he doesn’t immediately have plans to force the shut down of any of those industries.
In Florida, more than 100 people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and hundreds more are awaiting test results.
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