Dr Tony Holohan says letter asking pubs not to open until September 1 is fake

Dr Tony Holohan confirmed at Thursday evening's Department of Health briefing that a letter circulating on social media was a fake.

The fraudulent message which has a signature supposed to be that of the Chief Medical Officer and is headed 'Office of the Taoiseach', has been widely circulated on WhatsApp.

It claims that pubs will be asked to remain shut until September 1st - but is completely fake.

Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health (Colin Keegan/Collins)

Dr Holohan confirmed at the meeting that there was no truth to this and there was no update on when pubs may re-open again.

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It hasn't stopped hundreds of people being duped by the statement and spreading it to their friends around the country.

Concerns have been raised throughout this pandemic about the spreading of disinformation on Whatsapp which the Facebook owned company is looking to combat.

Last month they launched an information hub offering guidance on using the service and reducing the spread of disinformation.

The platform's hub includes tips for those who use the app as part of their work as well as general users.