Fact check: No, Maharashtra government hasn't laid down guidelines for Covid lockdown 5.0

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The ongoing COVID-19 lockdown in India has presented a number of challenges for just about everyone in the country. Amid this, now, many notorious social media users have started circulating fake messages surrounding the extension of the ongoing Covid lockdown. This time around, fake guidelines for lockdown phase 5 were shared on various social media platforms which also ended up coming off as genuine to many netizens, as they were expertly doctored to resemble official notifications. 

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Maharashtra lockdown 5 fake guidelines

A news daily recently took to its social media platform and shared that the guidelines circulating on the internet about the phase 5 of the Maharashtra lock are actually fake. The guidelines were designed in a way that made it look genuine. The fake guidelines spread included rules and regulations shops, public spaces and salons/beauty parlours would have to follow during lockdown phase 5. Check them out below - 

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As seen above, the fake guidelines provided in the social media posts have been carefully curated in order to spread misinformation. The official guidelines for phase 5 of the lockdown in Maharashtra have not been revealed by any governing authorities. The fake messages shown above claim that the guidelines would be implemented by May 29, 2020, which reportedly confused many people to be true. 

image courtesy - Twitter

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The fake guidelines stated above had jotted down rules for various different entities like public places, salons and shops. As per these fake guidelines, shops were going to open on an odd and even days basis. The guidelines also stated that non-essential shops would be allowed to operate on 33% employee strength.

On the other hand, the fake guidelines also claimed that public spaces will be opened during phase 5 of Maharashtra lockdown but no official statement has been made about the same. The guidelines noted that public spaces were to be reopened from May 30, 2020, in order to strictly carry out physical activities like exercising and running. Whereas, salons and beauty parlours were misguided to function on 50% capacity and only serve people with prior appointments through the fake guidelines. 

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(Image Credit: PTI)