The Barbados government is dismissing as a hoax a notice being circulated online, alleging that all government offices are to close immediately for two weeks, to avoid the spread of the coronavirus.
A government official contacted Starcom Network News today to deny that there was any truth to what is being circulated.
The official expressed concern that some people might think the message was legitimate, as it had the Barbados Government Information Service logo attached and at first glance, appeared to come from the GIS website.
The notice claims that in order to avoid the spread of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus, starting from March 5th, all employees will have paid mandatory leave, resuming two weeks after closure.
Even though anyone clicking on the link below the text will probably realize it is a hoax, Barbados government officials fear that many people will only read the text and believe it is genuine, which they stress, it is not.
The Government issued a statement that cautions residents against the abuse of social media to spread false and malicious information designed to mislead the public