Los Angeles Times Messages that have circulated widely over the past week have created a potent rumor mill and stirred up fear among recipients with dire warnings of martial law being imminently imposed by President Trump and similarly extreme scenarios, in which soldiers would be ordered to keep people in their homes.
The fake missives spread to enough people that government officials felt they needed to knock them down with statements assuring the public they were untrue.
“There is no national lockdown,” the White House’s National Security Council tweeted on Sunday, telling people to consult the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website for accurate information.
The messages were the latest examples of the misinformation that has spread via social media, emails and text messages as the coronavirus has moved into all 50 states in the U.S.
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