Once again defying claims levelled by the Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, the Singapore government said that there is no new variant that has originated from the country.
“There is no new ‘Singapore’ variant of Covid-19. Neither is there 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 B.1.617.2 variant, which originated from India. The existence and spread of the B.1.617.2 variant within India predates the detection of the variant in Singapore, and this has been publicly known and reported by various media sources from as early as 5 May 2021,” the Singapore Ministry of Health said in an official statement.
Here’s a timeline of the diplomatic issue erupted over Delhi CM’s tweet:
May 18: CM Arvind Kejriwal said in a tweet in Hindi, “The new form of coronavirus in Singapore is said to be very dangerous for children. It could reach Delhi in the form of a third wave. My appeal to the Central government: 1. Cancel all air services with Singapore with immediate effect 2. Work on vaccine alternatives for children on a priority basis.”
May 18: Angry netizens in Singapore criticised Delhi CM Kejriwal for making false claims and accused him of ‘spreading misinformation’ while seeking an apology and recommending fact-checking.
May 19: Spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs, Arindam Bagchi, said the Indian High Commissioner P Kumaran clarified to the Singapore government that the Delhi chief minister had no competence to comment on Covid-19 variants.
May 19: Singapore High Commissioner said, “We certainly appreciate the Indian government’s crystal clear clarification and we are satisfied with it,” the high commissioner said. The facts are quite clear and those holding prominent political offices must have a responsibility “not to propagate falsehoods”, the commissioner added.
May 19: Chiding Arvind Kejriwal, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the Delhi chief minister does not speak for India and that the two countries have been solid partners in combating the pandemic.
May 19: Defending the Aam Aadmi Party ( AAP) supremo, party members said that the BJP and its government were more concerned about their image abroad than the children in India after the saffron party accused Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of serious violation of constitutional propriety. The BJP-led government needs to prioritise children, instead of playing politics and “fixing its image” abroad, Deputy CM Manish Sisodia said.
May 20: Singapore issued general correction directions to Facebook, Twitter, and SPH Magazines under the Singapore Press Holdings over falsehoods about a “Singapore variant” of COVID-19 under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA).
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