Clip claiming vegetable vendors are spreading COVID-19 is FAKE

New Delhi, Apr 09: An audio clip claiming vegetables vendors are spreading coronavirus has gone viral.

It claims that the vendors are spreading COVID-19 by licking or spitting on vegetables and fruits. The clip is clearly fake and is also very unfair to these vendors who are out in the open to ensure that you and I have supplies of essentials.

The Ministry of Health said that cases have been reported of people affected with COVID-19 as well as healthcare workers, sanitary workers and police, who are in the frontline for management of the outbreak, facing discrimination on account of heightened fear and misinformation about infection. Even those who have recovered from COVID-19 face such discrimination.

Further, certain communities and areas are being labelled purely based on false reports floating in social media and elsewhere.

There is an urgent need to counter such prejudices and to rise as a community that is empowered with health literacy and responds appropriately in the face of this adversity.

Healthcare workers including doctors, nurses, and allied & healthcare professionals are rendering their services tirelessly to provide care and medical / clinical support in this situation of crisis. Sanitary workers and police are also doing selfless service and playing critical roles in addressing the challenge of COVID-19. They all deserve our support, praise and appreciation, the Health Ministry also said.

Targeting essential services providers and their families will weaken our fight against COVID-19 and can prove grievously detrimental for the entire nation, the Ministry also said.