Fact Check: No, staff members of Bengaluru restaurants didn't test coronavirus positive

The residents of Bengaluru became wary of dining-in at some of the most popular restaurants in the city after they stumbled upon a message that their staff members have tested positive for COVID-19. The restaurants, which mostly remained shut for almost three months due to the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic, resumed dine-in services only recently after the Centre announced Unlock 1.

However, the news of the employees of at least 50 Bengaluru restaurants and bakeries getting infected with the novel coronavirus has adversely affected the already low turnout of the customers. The message spread like wildfire across different social media platforms and the residents chose to avoid eating or ordering food from their favorite joints in the city.

According to the message that has now gone viral, some of the iconic eateries in the capital city of Karnataka - Variar Bakery, Marvalli Tiffin Room (MTR), Vidyarthi Bhavan, Brahmin's Hotel (Idly Hotel), Chamarajapet, SLV Corner, Junction Of Gandhi Bazaar and Chamarajapet, Maiya's Restaurant, Ashoka Vatika, Janardhan Hotel, Karnataka Bhel House, Bangalore Cafe - are not safe to swing by at the moment.

Besides, the message also warned the residents against vising Lalbagh, MN Krishna Rao Park and Local World Supermarket. It further stated that seven people from a single building on Immadihalli Road have tested positive for COVID-19.

Authorities dub the message as false

The Bruhat Bengaluru Hotels' Association has refuted all the claims made by the viral message as false and has filed a complaint with the police seeking action against those spreading fake news. PC Rao, President of Bruhat Bengaluru Hotels' Association, along with other officials, met with the Bengaluru Commissioner of Police Bhaskar Rao, IPS, to discuss the issue.

"Fake news is more dangerous than coronavirus. We have urged the Police Commissioner to take action against those responsible for this," said PC Rao.

Confirming that no staff member of any restaurant or bakery has tested positive for COVID-19, Rao further said, "This is a malicious propaganda by vested interests and perverted minds with an intention to malign the reputation of prominent eating joints."

Further, the official Twitter account of Whitefield Rising denied the news of workers of Loyal World Supermarket being coronavirus positive.

"We found a #fake WhatsApp was doing the rounds, attributing below update to us. We do not share such messages, ever. Especially with such vague details - "might get sealed". The news is completely fake. People who do this - know that you are affecting livelihoods doing so," it said in a tweet while sharing the below picture.

The eateries have already suffered major losses due to the nationwide lockdown that was imposed to curb the spread of the China-originated virus and such sort of false news will only make matters worse for them.