Has Sindh Closed Down Schools and Cancelled Exams?

The spread of misinformation and fake news is increasing at the same rate as the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, with the latter gaining a stronghold in Sindh in general and in Karachi in particular.

While the Government of Sindh has not announced a lockdown restriction in the province on an official level, a fake notification started doing the rounds on Friday evening.

The fake statement detailed the “closure of all educational institutions, postponement of exams, organization of Pakistan Super League (PSL) behind closed doors, and the shut down of marriage halls, cinemas, and shrines.”

Sindh’s Health and Population Welfare Department categorically refuted the bogus notice in an official statement and declared that no lockdown restrictions have been imposed anywhere in the province.

Please be wary of photoshopped images that are spreading fake information during the pandemic. This document is fake & no such notification has been issued from the Sindh Government or Sindh Health Department. If forwarded to you, inform the sender it is inauthentic #SindhHealth pic.twitter.com/ZjKcXL0HMv

— Heath & Population Welfare Department, GoS (@SindhHealthDpt) January 7, 2022

The Health Department warned the public to be wary of such propaganda as they disseminate misinformation amid the pandemic, and advised it to inform others about the illegitimacy of the notification.

Meanwhile, the number of coronavirus cases (comprising mostly Omicron and Delta infections) in the country is rising rapidly. The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) confirmed 1,345 new cases earlier today, up from the 1,293 cases reported on Friday and 1,085 cases on Thursday.