Coronavirus: Mock drill video from Pune shared as real

On June 24, The Hindu reported, “Pune district reported more than 192 new COVID-19 cases, the highest surge till now over a 12-hour span, taking the district’s case tally to 17,043.” In the backdrop of this, a 30-second video is being shared where a man lying on the roadside is put inside an ambulance by medical workers dressed in protective suits. “Corona patients have started appearing in public places on the streets of Pune,” reads the accompanying claim.

Several Twitter users have posted (1, 2) the video.

Corona patients have started appearing in public places on the streets of Pune 😢
The situation is dire, kindly please take care of yourself and your family
Stay safe …🙏🏻#corona #pune pic.twitter.com/Qr7UWBEyW5

— Naser (@Naser23111034) June 23, 2020

Alt News has received several requests to fact-check this on WhatsApp (+917600011160) and on our official Android application.

Fact-check

Alt News performed a keyword search and found that Pune Mirror had uploaded the video. As per their report, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) health officials conducted a mock drill at the Deccan Corner to calculate the response time of authorities in case of a COVID related emergency.

#PMC health officials conducted a mock drill at Deccan Corner to know the response time of concern authorities in case a COVID related emergency arises#coronavirus #coronavirusinindia #CoronaOutbreak pic.twitter.com/D4XQe6HEpX

— Pune Mirror (@ThePuneMirror) June 23, 2020

Mayor of Pune Murlidhar Mohol also tweeted the video and clarified the same. He wrote in Marathi, “A mock drill was conducted in Pune today, against the backdrop of corona infection in the Deccan area. This mock drill is done to check the alertness of all the systems. But this video is being spread in a different sense in social media. Please take note!”

पुण्यात आज डेक्कन परिसरात कोरोना संसर्गाच्या पार्श्वभूमीवर मॉक ड्रिल करण्यात आले होते. सर्व यंत्रणांची सतर्कता तपासण्यासाठी हे मॉक ड्रिल करण्यात येत असते. मात्र या व्हिडीओचा वापर करुन वेगळ्या अर्थाने समाजमाध्यमांमध्ये पसरवला जात आहे. कृपया आपण सर्वांनी याची नोंद घ्यावी ! pic.twitter.com/EPHYBR5Bv6

— Murlidhar Mohol (@mohol_murlidhar) June 23, 2020

Thus, a video of a mock drill conducted by PMC authorities was falsely shared as an actual coronavirus patient being attended. Earlier, mock drill videos from Bhagalpur Central Jail and Hajipur Jail in Bihar were shared with similar false claims. Another mock drill video conducted by Punjab police was circulating as a genuine COVID-19 case.