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News about new diphtheria outbreak false: Agency
Jakarta Health Agency head Widyastuti called on people to remain calm and not believe the information, even though the message looked official and ended with the Jakarta Health Agency's name.
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A doctor monitors a suspected diphtheria patient for a reaction to drugs on Dec.18, 2017 at Drajat Prawiranegara Regional General Hospital in Serang, Banten. (Antara/Asep Fathulrahman)
T
he Jakarta Health Agency said on Tuesday that information about a diphtheria outbreak in the city that has been widely shared on social media like WhatsApp since Feb. 16 was a hoax.
Jakarta Health Agency head Widyastuti called on people to remain calm and not believe the information, even though the message looked official and ended with the Jakarta Health Agency's name.
She said that the message about 600 people in Jakarta having contracted diphtheria was first posted in 2018.
“The message had been shared in 2018 without mentioning our agency. This year, the message was reshared and our name was tagged,” she said as quoted by wartakota.tribunnews.com.
When the diphtheria cases were recorded in 2018, Widyastuti said, the agency had taken regular measures to prevent further outbreak.
The agency had attempted to contradict the false information through its official Instagram and Twitter accounts, @dinkesdki and @dinkesjkt respectively.
“I don’t understand: Why did people share it again and cause public unrest? Where are their hearts?” she asked. (vla)
