Trump administration officials say a foreign disinformation campaign is trying to spread fear amid the coronavirus pandemic, with false rumors of a nationwide quarantine and more. The White House National Security Council took public steps to tamp down rumors, tweeting late Sunday that “Text message rumors of a national #quarantine are FAKE.”“There is no national lockdown,” the NSC tweeted. “Hey folks, we’re not shutting down the United States,” Cuccinelli tweeted Monday. The president also announced a temporary halt on air travel to the United States from Europe, now including flights from the United Kingdom, but excluding those carrying cargo. As of Monday morning, there were more than 3,700 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States, in 49 states, including Washington, D.C.

Source: Fox News March 16, 2020 17:03 UTC