Facebook, Twitter and HardwareZone forum served with Pofma directive over 'Singapore variant' claims

SINGAPORE - Singapore's fake news law has been invoked by the Ministry of Health (MOH) in response to a statement circulating online claiming that there is a new variant of Covid-19 which originated in the Republic.

The Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung has instructed the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (Pofma) Office to issue a correction direction to Facebook, Twitter and the HardwareZone forum owned by SPH Magazines, said MOH in a press release early on Thursday morning (May 20).

The platforms will be required to carry a correction notice to all their users in Singapore.

"The Ministry of Health (MOH) is aware of a false statement circulating online by multiple media outlets and social media platforms, which implies that a new, previously unknown variant of Covid-19 originated in Singapore and/or risks spreading to India from Singapore," it said.

It added that there is no new Singapore variant of Covid-19 and that there is also no 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 B16172 variant, which originated in India," it added.

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Earlier in the week, both MOH and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) had issued statements on claims by a politician in India regarding the supposed new variant.

Delhi's Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had in a Twitter post in Hindi called on India's government to cancel flights with Singapore.

He claimed a "new form of corona" from the country could cause a third wave of infections in India.

His remarks were carried by several news outlets including the Hindustan Times and NDTV, a broadcaster in India.

MOH said in a statement on Tuesday that there was no truth to his claims while the MFA stated that it "regrets the unfounded assertions" made by Mr Kejriwal on social media.

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.