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Kota Kinabalu: A viral message saying a boy from China has been quarantined for novel coronavirus infection at the Women and Children’s Hospital in Likas, near here, has been dismissed by a Health Department official as fake news.

The message claimed that the seven-year-old from Shanghai had been admitted to the hospital with symptoms of the virus and warned people not to visit the hospital, whose lifts were also “placed under quarantine”.

“Fake news,” said Sabah Health Director Datuk Dr Christina Rundi in a swift response to the message posted in a public alert group on WhatsApp.

Police and the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission in a joint-statement on Tuesday warned against making and distributing fake news in relation to the novel coronavirus epidemic that started in Wuhan, China.

“Stern action will be taken against those distributing rumours and fake news in relation to the novel coronavirus situation in Malaysia,” said the statement, adding four people have been identified for distributing such content.