US President Joe Biden on Friday declared that misinformation on social media is “killing people” while countries around the world experience an increase in new coronavirus cases due to the dominant and highly transmissible Delta variant.
“They’re killing people,” he told reporters outside the White House. “The only pandemic we have is among the unvaccinated. And they’re killing people.”
The Biden administration has recently pointed to misinformation about the coronavirus and Covid-19 vaccines as a cause for concern.
"We will not be distracted by accusations which aren’t supported by the facts," Facebook spokesman Kevin McAlister said on Friday.
"The fact is that more than two billion people have viewed authoritative information about Covid-19 and vaccines on Facebook, which is more than any other place on the internet.
"More than 3.3 million Americans have also used our vaccine finder tool to find out where and how to get a vaccine. The facts show that Facebook is helping save lives. Period," he said.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Thursday that staff was “flagging problematic posts” of pandemic misinformation for Facebook.
“It’s painful to know that nearly every death we are seeing now could have been prevented,” US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said on Friday.
“The truth is that across our nation, the voices of doctors, nurses, scientists and public health experts are too often being drowned out by the false sirens of misinformation. Misinformation robs us of our freedom to make decisions for our health based on science and facts.”
The country is reporting more than 27,000 daily cases nationwide, the highest rate since May, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said.
CNN and The New York Times report that all 50 states are seeing rises in cases, and most of those states say infections are overwhelmingly among the unvaccinated and are leading to higher levels of hospital admissions.
“There is a clear message that is coming through: this is becoming a pandemic of the unvaccinated,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said on Friday.
While the US has a surplus of vaccine supply, only 48.4 per cent of the US population is fully vaccinated and 61 per cent have had at least one dose. The rate of vaccination has slowed to a seven-day average of about 445,000 immunisations per day, despite once being in the millions.
More than 608,000 people in the US have died from Covid-19.
Reuters has contributed to this report
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
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- That's about it
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
How Islam's view of posthumous transplant surgery changed
Transplants from the deceased have been carried out in hospitals across the globe for decades, but in some countries in the Middle East, including the UAE, the practise was banned until relatively recently.
Opinion has been divided as to whether organ donations from a deceased person is permissible in Islam.
The body is viewed as sacred, during and after death, thus prohibiting cremation and tattoos.
One school of thought viewed the removal of organs after death as equally impermissible.
That view has largely changed, and among scholars and indeed many in society, to be seen as permissible to save another life.
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