India asks social media to delete data on local strain of COVID-19

The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology of India has demanded that social networks remove any information about the Indian strain of coronavirus. This was reported by Reuters and Hindustan Times with reference to a letter from the department.

“We have become aware that a false statement is being circulated on the Internet that implies that the Indian variant of the coronavirus is spreading across countries. This is a pure lie. The World Health Organization has not associated the term ‘Indian variant’ with the B.1.617 strain of coronavirus in any of its reports,” the ministry said in a letter.

According to a Reuters source in the Indian government, references to the "Indian version" of the coronavirus cause misunderstanding and damage the country's image.

On May 11, World Health Organization (WHO) expert Maria van Kerkhove said that the B.1.617 strain of coronavirus, first identified in India last year, is causing "global concern". The WHO suggests that this strain is more contagious.