Singapore seeks correction on 'untrue' Facebook post about COVID-19 death of 3-yr-old

Singapore’s Ministry of Health on Sunday, August 15, issued an order to social media giant Facebook requiring the correction to be made on the website over what it claims to be false information being spread online about the death of a three-year-old due to COVID-19. According to the official statement on Sunday, as of August 14, there has been no case of any child dying of the coronavirus infection at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital or any other hospital in the country. Singaporean Health Minister Ong Ye Kung has instructed the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act, or POFMA, Office to issue a general correction direction to Mark Zuckerberg-founded social media platform.

The Singaporean Health Ministry statement reads, “The Ministry of Health (MOH) is aware of a false statement circulating online in a Facebook post by a user, Eileen Loh, on 14 August 2021, about a three-year-old preschooler who had allegedly passed away from COVID-19 at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH), and that the death was deliberately not reported.”

“The Minister for Health has instructed the POFMA Office to issue a General Correction Direction1 to Facebook. Facebook is required to carry the Correction Notice to all end-users in Singapore who use Facebook. The Government takes a serious view of the deliberate communication of these false statements, and criminal investigations under POFMA will be conducted.” It also said on Facebook that the post is "untrue."

No case of ‘Delta Plus’ variant in Singapore: Ministry

Further, it noted that the viral, baseless post on Facebook claimed that the “Delta Plus” variant of COVID-19 is now present in Singapore. However, the health ministry added, “As of 14 August, MOH has not identified the “Delta Plus” variant in any of Singapore’s known COVID-19 cases...We urge the public not to spread unsubstantiated information, which may cause public alarm. Please visit www.moh.gov.sg for latest updates on the COVID-19 situation.” The post had also alleged that the child died two days ago and that her death was not reported in the news. Further, the post had also claimed that the government was not transparent in its daily reporting of COVID-19 cases.

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