A local news outlet accidentally shared on social media that former Manila Mayor Alfredo “Fred” Lim passed away due to the novel coronavirus on Friday, August 7.
A broadsheet shared this report and immediately deleted it. However, some social media users managed to make screenshots of it and shared it online.
The deleted post read: “Former politician Alfredo ‘Fred’ Siojo Lim passes away due to COVID-19, Friday, August 7, 2020, according to Niño de la Cruz’s Facebook post who is a three-time councilor of Manila. He was 90.”
Dela Cruz is the current Manila 1st District Councilor and Lim’s grandson. This Facebook post was also deleted.
The local news outlet later shared a new corrected post and attached its report that Lim is rather confined in a hospital due to being infected with the deadly virus.
Lim’s chief of staff Ric de Guzman also dispelled rumors of the former long-time mayor’s supposed death and stressed that he’s “making good progress” recovering from his illness.
“Mayor Lim is very much alive although he is confined in a hospital now. In fact, he’s making good progress as of this statement. I hope this puts to rest all misinformation that he had passed away and a stop to negative speculations about his health. It is not helping him and the family any. Thank you,” De Guzman said.
While he did not mention the news organization, De Guzman noted on a report that stated Lim had passed away and described it as “fake news.”
De Guzman then appealed to the public to give them “moments of privacy” and extended gratitude to those who expressed their concerns.
“Please give us some moments of privacy as we focus on Mayor Lim’s swift recovery from his current illness. We thank all those who have expressed concern and offered prayers for him and us during these trying times. Please continue praying for him as we all do,” De Guzman said.
In another report, Dela Cruz also requested prayers from the public for his grandfather’s recovery.
Last Thursday, August 6, the Philippines surpassed Indonesia in the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 infections in Southeast Asia with a recorded 3,561 new infections, which brought the total to 119,460.
Indonesia, meanwhile, has 118,753 infection cases.
As of August 7, the Department of Health reported 3,379 additional cases which then summed up to 122,754.
Of these, there are 53,734 active cases and 66,852 recoveries. The death toll is at 2,168.