Moroccan Police Arrest Man for False Coronavirus Claims on Social Media

It all started with a video that went viral on social media. Equipped with a medical mask and gloves, the suspect denounced the existence of cases of coronavirus spread in Tetouan. "Be careful, the coronavirus is here. Two people died here because of the virus," he said.

He was later arrested and placed in custody for the purposes of the investigation. The arrest of the suspect is part of Morocco’s efforts to crack down on the dissemination of false information in order to create a sense of fear among citizens.

For now, assures the Head of Government, Saâdeddine El Otmani, Morocco has not recorded any cases of coronavirus. The tests performed on the 19 suspected cases of coronavirus are negative.