White House says rumors of national quarantine are false

[r2d2]

Text message rumors circulating Sunday night of a mandatory national quarantine are completely false, the White House said.The messages, apparently intended to stoke apprehension in the midst of a pandemic, purported to pass along news from government officials that President Trump would order a two-week national quarantine. “Stock up on whatever you guys need to make sure you have a two week supply of everything,” said one text message.The White House National Security Council tweeted out on Sunday night: “Text message rumors of a national #quarantine are FAKE. There is no national lockdown. @CDCgov has and will continue to post the latest.”

“There is an ongoing effort to spread disinformation and cause undue panic,” a senior administration official said Monday. “There is no national quarantine for the United States. It’s important we remain vigilant in ensuring our information is coming from verified sources.“Misinformation researchers in recent days began detecting texts and social media references to alleged plans to impose new, dramatic government restrictions on the ability of people to move, shop and socialize. Among the most widespread concerns claims that Trump shortly would invoke the Stafford Act, a 1988 disaster relief law, to impose a mandatory quarantine on the entire nation.

[kittaya]

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