New Delhi, April 4: Ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a nationwide lockdown on March 24, several fake messages are doing rounds on social media claiming that the shutdown has been extended further.  However, a fact check report by Press Information Bureau (PIB) which was shared by @COVIDNewsByMIB, on April 4 claimed that the news of lockdown extension was a fake one as there has been no such announcement made by the Government. The truth is, the photo claiming that the lockdown has been extended is morphed and is triggering panic during the lockdown.

There has been speculation too about the extension being extended further after April 14. Some social media users have been sharing images claiming that the prime minister has announced the extension of lockdown.  "There has been no such announcement made by the Government for an 'extension of lockdown' period. Do not believe any bogus claims", the PIB tweet read. Fact Check: Coronavirus Lockdown Extended Till April 30 in Maharashtra? Know Truth Behind Viral Fake News.

Here's the Fact Check:

In India, COVID-19 cases rose to 2,902 on Saturday while the death toll rose to 68, according to the Union Health Ministry. The number of active COVID-19 cases stands at 2,650, while 183 people were either cured or discharged and one had migrated to another country, it said. Coronavirus Scare: Is India Going Into a Complete Lockdown? PIB Fact Check Debunks Fake News.

On March 24, the Prime Minister had announced a complete lockdown across the country for 21 days till April 14. In his address, the Prime Minister said that social distancing is the only way out for India's decisive battle against the coronavirus.  Underlining the massive danger that COVID-19 poses, Modi said any negligence in these 21 days will "push the country and your families back by  21 years.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 04, 2020 02:42 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).