The Dubai Media Office has officially debunked rumors of a circulating video showing a man suffering from an epileptic seizure on a particular street in the country as someone who had the coronavirus disease.
The said video circulated fast on WhatsApp and social media as UAE residents questioned its authenticity.
A tweet from the Dubai Media Office clarified that the man having COVID-19 was just a rumor but confirmed that he suffered from a seizure.
Rumour: Coronavirus victim
Truth: Man suffers epileptic seizure pic.twitter.com/eZfffYrC6e— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) April 1, 2020
Authorities remind the public not to spread panic by sharing unverified information and that those who caught sharing misinformation to the public will face fines and imprisonment.
RELATED STORY: Spreading fake news about COVID-19 in UAE can land you in jail – UAE Attorney-General
UAE Attorney-General Dr. Hamad Al Shamsi warned that the UAE government will not hesitate to press charges against rumormongers and fake news peddlers, adding that they may be jailed depending on the severity of the crime they committed.
“UAE security authorities will take strict measures and harsh penalties ranging from one year to several years prison term will be handed down to rumormongers proportionally to the panic caused by the rumors,” he said in press briefing.
This call comes after CID agents detected misleading and fictitious audio and video clips circulating on social media about the degree of the contagion in the Gulf state as well as actions taken by authorities to curb the spread of the disease.
