Has Mumbai’s popular Wibs bread company shut shop because its workers at the factory tested positive for coronavirus? Wibs is the largest supplier of bread in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
Many social media users have shared concerns after a message started going viral asking people not to eat Wibs bread as its workers have tested positive for Covid-19 and the factory has been sealed.
India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) has found that the viral message is misleading. Wibs has four factories that bake its famous bread and the owners have shut one after a worker showed symptoms of coronavirus infection. The other factories are operational.
Among others, Facebook user “Karthik Shetty” posted a message, saying, “WIBS Bread Company is sealed. WIBS Bread workers are Covid-19 positive so don’t eat WIBS Bread.” The archived version of the post can be seen here.
This message is viral on WhatsApp too and people have taken to Twitter to enquire from authorities if it is true.
Wibs still operational
To check the authenticity of the message, we searched for contact numbers of Wibs factories. Landline numbers of the factories are available on the Internet, and staff who took the calls at the Navi Mumbai and Prabhadevi factories confirmed they are operational.
We then got in touch with one of the largest distributors of Wibs, PS Pandian, who said, “I have heard about these messages. As a distributor, I am in touch with the company and I know they have been taking all precautions. They regularly sanitise the premises and are taking care of their workers as well. I don’t know how these rumours spread. The supply of bread is on as usual and has not reduced in any way.”
Only one factory shut
Wibs is a family-run business and has four factories in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. In Mumbai, the factories are located at Andheri, Prabhadevi and Dockyard.
We spoke to one of the owners of the company, Farokh Irani, who said, “One of our workers at the Dockyard factory showed symptoms of coronavirus. While he was sent for tests, we have shut the factory on a precautionary note. We have sanitised the entire factory and are checking other workers as well. We are working with the municipal corporation too. The factory was not sealed, but we have closed it voluntarily.”
“Our other factories are operating normally and there has been no problem in those places,” Irani added.
The company had also issued a statement saying, “The health and safety of our customers, our employees and the community at large is of utmost concern and importance to us at WIBS. The manufacturing of WIBS products is being undertaken in compliance with the orders and directives issued by the Government from time to time. We have implemented all the required guidelines and controls required of us at this time. We have also implemented heightened awareness and hygiene practices. Recent concerns raised about health and safety associated with the production and consumption of WIBS products are therefore unfounded.”
Therefore, it is clear that the viral claim of Wibs bread factory being sealed after a worker was found Covid-positive is misleading. Wibs has four factories and it voluntarily shut one after a worker showed symptoms of coronavirus infection. The other factories are operating normally and baking bread for Mumbai.
JHOOTH BOLE KAUVA KAATE
The number of crows determines the intensity of the lie.
- 1 Crow: Half True
- 2 Crows: Mostly lies
- 3 Crows: Absolutely false
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Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/fact-check/story/fact-check-popular-bakery-in-mumbai-finds-itself-in-the-middle-of-coronavirus-rumours-1672971-2020-04-30
