Singapore tells Facebook, Twitter to carry correction notice on virus strain

FILE PHOTO: A man walks past chairs stacked up outside restaurants as dining-in is restricted to curb the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Singapore May 17, 2021. REUTERS/Edgar Su

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore on Thursday ordered Facebook and Twitter to carry a correction notice to users of the social media platforms in the country over what it says is a false statement about a new virus variant originating in Singapore.

The ministry of health said it was aware of the statement circulating online on media outlets and social media platforms, which implied that a new, previously unknown variant of COVID-19 originated in Singapore and risked spreading to India from the city-state.