A rumour has been making the rounds on Chinese social media WeChat claiming helicopters will be spraying disinfectant across the city to kill the coronavirus.

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The message, which went viral last week, warns the public not to go outside because the government plans to spray disinfectant from helicopters.

“Tonight from 11:40 p.m., nobody should be on the streets because five helicopters will be spraying disinfectant in the air to eradicate the COVID-19. Doors and windows should remain closed. Please pass this message to all of your contacts,” reads the message.

Kim Decker, spokesperson for the City of Richmond, debunked the rumour, saying there was no intention of spraying disinfectant throughout the city.



Meena Dawar, Richmond’s medical health officer, said it’s hard for the health authority to chase and dispel rumours because they are so busy.



“Please go to good sources, reliable sources of information rather than listening to what’s circulating on social media,” Dawar said, adding that both Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) and BC Centre for Disease Control) BCCDC have good information on their websites, some with information in many languages.

The same warning also popped up in other parts of the country.



The City of Calgary took to Twitter on last Tuesday to clarify that, in fact, helicopters would not be spraying disinfectant throughout the city.

“We’ve heard rumours about how we are disinfecting the city. We aren’t spraying throughout the night or using helicopters to disinfect areas,” read a tweet from the city.



