Viral video of PM Modi announcing lockdown is from 2020

Hyderabad: Amid reports of a surge in Covid-19 Omicron cases in China and the far-eastern and southeast Asian nations, a video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi announcing a lockdown is being shared. It is being claimed that it is a recent announcement by the Central government.

A Facebook user shared the video and said the PM has announced an all-India lockdown.

Click here to see the post.

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the video is from 2020. On performing a reverse image search of the video's keyframe, we found the longer version of the video on the official YouTube channel of the Prime Minister's Office live-steamed on 24 March 2020. The video is titled "PM Modi addresses the Nation on vital aspects relating to the menace of COVID-19."

The viral clip which is now circulating on the internet appears in this video at 6.41 minutes and ends at 10.25 minutes.

On 24 December, PIB fact-check clarified that the rumours of a lockdown are false. It said a YouTube channel, CE News, was spreading fake news about a seven-day lockdown. It also mentioned that the government has not taken any such decision.

Hence, we conclude that the viral clip is from 2020 and the claim that the PM has announced a lockdown is misleading.

In view of the rising cases, the Indian government is already taking precautions. Union health minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, on 29 November, took to Twitter to announce that from 1 January 2023, RT-PCR tests will be mandatory for flyers coming from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Thailand. Before travelling, they are required to upload their reports on the Air Suvidha portal.