5G trials spreading COVID-19? Haryana govt to act tough against people spreading rumours

The Haryana government on Thursday directed the district administration and state police to safeguard telecom infrastructure and other related assets and take "strict, coercive and immediate action" against those spreading rumours linking 5G network technology to the spread of COVID-19 infection.

The deputy commissioners and district police chiefs across Haryana have been directed to take strict action against miscreants spreading rumours linking 5G network technology to the spread of COVID-19. Days after the government gave a go-ahead for the 5G trials in India, misinformation and fake news about the 5G network linked to the spread of COVID-19, were doing the rounds. The Department of Telecommunications had earlier clarified that there is no link between the two, as 5G has just been approved for trials and that the testing had not even started in India yet. Now, the Haryana Chief Secretary has written to the officials highlighting the damage caused to mobile towers by miscreants.

State Chief Secretary Vijai Vardhan said in his letter issued to the DCs, SSPs and SPs, "misinformation attributing the fatalities and health problems being faced by the people due to COVID-19 is being attributed to the testing of 5G towers. This has led to some incident in the State resulting in mobile towers/ network being damaged by some misguided elements."

In his letter, Vardhan also clarified that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has clarified that any such rumour is misplaced as viruses cannot travel on radio wave or mobile network. He also mentioned that the Department of Telecommunications under the Union government has also clarified that linking the 5G network technology with the COVID-19 infection has no scientific basis.

He wrote, "Besides, the testing of the 5G network has not yet started in India. Hence, the apprehension that 5G trials or networks are causing coronavirus in India is baseless and devoid of any merit. I would therefore advise you to safeguard telecom infrastructure and other related assets in your district and take strict, coercive and immediate action against any miscreant spreading such misleading rumours."

COVID-19 situation in Haryana

According to official data, there are 62,352 active COVID-19 cases in Haryana, while the death toll in the State has mounted to 7,205.