Gujarat CM discards social media rumour on complete lockdown from June 1

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Friday asked people not to believe in rumours regarding the coronavirus-induced lockdown, the fourth phase of which is scheduled to end on May 31.

Rupani had to issue a clarification amid social media talk that the state government was planning to impose total lockdown from June 1 as the number of COVID-19 cases was not coming down.

"Some people are spreading rumours that from June 1st the state government will order total lockdown and order closure of everything. People should not believe in such rumours and stay away from spreading such things," Rupani said.

Earlier, social media posts, with photos of deputy chief minister Nitin Patel, warning of implementation of complete lockdown had gone viral.

The lockdown for the coronavirus outbreak has been in place across the country since March 25, though in the fourth phase that started on May 17, the Rupani government had divided the state into containment and non-containment zones, and eased several restrictions, including industrial and commercial, in the latter.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had, on Thursday, spoken to chief ministers of states on phase five of the lockdown, likely to commence from June 1.