False claim circulates online in the Philippines that Canada is ‘free’ of the novel coronavirus
- This article is more than one year old.
- Published on August 10, 2020 at 00:25
- Updated on August 10, 2020 at 06:24
- 1 min read
- By AFP Philippines
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The claim was published in this Facebook post on August 4, 2020. The post has been shared more than 3,800 times.
A screenshot of the misleading post taken on August 7, 2020
The post’s caption reads: “CANADA is now Covid free! i hope philippines next, don't lose hope, we can do this!”
The claim circulated online as the Philippines saw its COVID-19 cases surge past 100,000, triggering another lockdown in the capital Manila and surrounding provinces.
An identical claim was also shared here, here, here and here on Facebook; and here, here and here on Twitter.
The claim, however, is false.
As of August 9, 2020, the Canadian government reported here that there were 6,742 active COVID-19 cases in the country. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Canada has recorded 119,451 cases and 8,981 deaths, the government's website states.
Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, released a statement on August 6 reporting that Canada had recorded a daily average of 400 COVID-19 cases over the previous week.
“As we learn to live with the virus in our midst, Canadians continue to rise to the challenge, adapting their daily routines to include important public health practices,” Tam’s statement added.
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