AFP Canada

Articles spread Tim Hortons closure hoax in Canada

Published on 27 March 2020 at 22:30

Two articles claiming that iconic coffee chain Tim Hortons will close all Canada franchises on March 30, 2020 because of the novel coronavirus were shared more than 150,000 times on Facebook. This is false; though locations are closed to dining-in, drive-throughs remain open, a spokeswoman for the chain told AFP.

Image shows Brazil’s president crying, not Italy’s prime minister

Published on 27 March 2020 at 20:43

A photo has been shared thousands of times in multiple Facebook posts alongside the claim that it shows Italy’s prime minister crying over the toll of the novel coronavirus epidemic. The claim is false; the photo shows Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro getting emotional during a Thanksgiving speech.

Viral video misidentifies COVID-19 patient as Canadian PM’s wife

Published on 24 March 2020 at 16:40

A video allegedly showing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s wife in a hospital bed urging people to stay home to avoid ending up seriously ill with the novel coronavirus has been shared thousands of times on Facebook and Twitter. The woman in the video is not Sophie Trudeau, but a British waitress who has been infected with COVID-19.

WhatsApp message falsely links BC mall to COVID-19 outbreak

Published on 20 March 2020 at 21:18

A message shared on WhatsApp and Facebook claims that 15 coronavirus cases were linked to Burnaby’s Metrotown mall, in the western Canadian province of British Columbia. This is false; provincial health officials and the mall administrator told AFP that no cases are connected to the mall to date.

False COVID-19 hotline number shared on Facebook in Ontario

Published on 16 March 2020 at 22:19Updated on 16 March 2020 at 22:58

A notice shared more than 15,000 times on Facebook advises Ontario residents to call 811 to arrange a home visit by medical specialists if they are showing novel coronavirus symptoms. This is false; 811 is not an official public health hotline in Ontario, and the provincial ministry of health is not organizing home visits, a spokeswoman told AFP.

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