Fact Check: France DID NOT declare a hantavirus lockdown

People around the world are wondering if we’re on the verge of the next global pandemic. Three people, including a Dutch couple and a German woman, died after travelling on the Dutch trans-Atlantic cruise ship MV Hondius. Two of whom were confirmed to be infected with the Andes strain of hantavirus, a zoonotic disease spread by rodents.

Health officials around the world are monitoring travellers from the ship and their close contacts for symptoms of the virus. As per the World Health Organisation, eight confirmed cases, two probable ones, and one inconclusive case of people infected have been reported so far. Among the confirmed cases is a French woman who had travelled on the cruise ship. She was reported to be critically ill on May 13.

Social media sites have since been awash with rumours of national lockdowns, reminiscent of the ones enacted during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. A Facebook user claimed, “Lockdown confirmed in France.” Another posted, “Here we go again! France is the first country to LOCKDOWN 6 years after COVID. Yes, France is currently LOCKED DOWN.” Many X users tagged Grok, asking if France has imposed a lockdown.

However, these claims are false. A French Embassy official in India categorically denied these lockdown claims while speaking to India Today Fact Check.

NO LOCKDOWNS

As per the BBC, the Andes strain of hantavirus is not as infectious as diseases such as measles, which are highly contagious and spread easily. According to the WHO, while human-to-human spread of this virus is possible, the risk of infections globally remains low.

As per reports, citizens of the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, France, and the United States have been found infected with hantavirus. We did not find any reports of lockdowns in any of these countries.

On the contrary, we found reports saying that while the health experts are monitoring the current situation, a lockdown is not yet required.

SITUATION IN FRANCE

Five French passengers were evacuated from the MV Hondius, and one tested positive for hantavirus.

Responding to one of the viral posts regarding the lockdown in France, the French Embassy in India posted a picture of people strolling past the Place de la Bastille in Paris. The Embassy supplemented this picture with the sarcastic caption, “Meanwhile in Paris.”

We contacted the French Embassy in India to know more about this. A spokesperson told India Today Fact Check, “There's no lockdown in place in France, neither due to hantavirus, nor due to Covid-19, nor due to any other situation.”

Elaborating on the safety measures the French government is taking in its response to Hantavirus, the consular officer said that the Ministry of Health is monitoring exposed individuals and developing recommendations tailored to the level of exposure risk. They added: “If symptoms appear in a monitored individual, they will be immediately reclassified as a suspected case and placed in the secure ‘Epidemic and Biological Risks’ pathway.”

As per the official website of the French government, the people aboard the MV Hondius and anyone in contact with them or others with a serious risk of infection can be subject to up to 42 days of isolation.

Thus, it’s clear that the viral claim of a lockdown being imposed in France as a response to hantavirus is completely baseless.