Singapore— The Ministry of Health (MOH) directed the POFMA office to issue Correction Directions to social media platforms and SPH Magazines Pte Ltd on Thursday (May 20) over a false statement online concerning a Covid-19 variant that is said to have originated in Singapore.
The online statements on Facebook, Twitter and HardwareZone forum (which is under alleged SPH Magazines Pte Ltd) implied that a new and previously unknown variant of the virus started in Singapore and/or risks spreading from Singapore to India.
The Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) Office was instructed by Health Minister Ong Ye Kung to issue General Correction Directions to these online media platforms.
This type of direction requires them to communicate, publish, broadcast or transmit a correction notice to their users in Singapore.
MOH wrote, “There is no new ‘Singapore’ variant of COVID-19. Neither is there evidence of any COVID-19 variant that is ‘extremely dangerous for kids’.
“The strain that is prevalent in many of the COVID-19 cases detected in Singapore in recent weeks is the B.1.617.2 variant, which originated from India.
“The existence and spread of the B.1.617.2 variant within India predates the detection of the variant in Singapore, and this has been publicly known and reported by various media sources from as early as 5 May 2021.”
Furthermore, MOH is advising the public not to speculate and/or spread unfounded rumors regarding Covid-19, but to obtain information and updates from the MOH website.
Corrections and clarifications on the matter were also published on the Government’s Factually website.
SPH Magazines told CNA that it put up the notice on HardwareZone forum by 1.20 am on Thursday, in compliance with the POFMA Office direction.
CNA quotes a representative from SPH Magazines as saying: “We’ve carefully reviewed the direction and are legally compelled to issue a correction notice from the Singapore Government to all people using Facebook in Singapore.”
The social media giant has also responded to the Correction Direction by issuing a notice for users in Singapore that read, “You may have seen info the Singapore government has determined to be false. Facebook is required by law to notify you.”
Twitter has also acted similarly, telling CNA “In line with our values around openness, transparency and trust, this request will be reflected in Singapore’s section of the Twitter Transparency Report, which we publish twice-yearly.”
On Tuesday (May 18), India’s Hindustan Times and NDTV carried reports about a Singapore variant of the Covid-19 virus, based on tweets from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who claimed that the new strain is “extremely dangerous for children” and may cause a third wave of infections in India.
This was debunked by MOH on Tuesday night.
/TISG
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