FACT CHECK: Did Global News Publish This Article About Tim Hortons Segregating Children Based On Their Vaccine Status?
An image shared on Facebook purportedly shows a screenshot of a Global News article about fast-food breakfast chain Tim Hortons segregating children based on their vaccine status at summer camps.
Verdict: False
The post is digitally fabricated. A spokesperson for Global News denied that the outlet had published such a story.
Fact Check:
Last week Canada authorized Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine for children as young as 6 months, making it the first COVID-19 vaccine available for children under the age of 5 in the country, according to Reuters.
An image shared on Facebook claims Canadian children are now being segregated based on their vaccine status. It shows what appears to be a screenshot of an alleged July 18 Global News article with a headline that reads, “After public outrage, Tim Hortons will allow unvaccinated children to attend summer camps, segregated from other campers.”
Tim Hortons operates a number of summer camps throughout Canada and the U.S. for children and teenagers, according to the company’s website. The company was criticized by some earlier this year for its decision to require COVID-19 vaccinations for all of its summer campers, Yahoo News reported.
The post shared on Facebook is digitally fabricated, however. No such article appears on the Global News website or on the outlet’s verified social media accounts. Check Your Fact found no credible news reporting about the alleged development at Tim Hortons.
“This was not published on our site and is falsely associated with the Global News brand,” said Michelle Brykman, a Global News spokesperson, in an email to Check Your Fact. (RELATED: FACT CHECK: Did Global News Report That Pfizer’s COVID-19 Vaccine Has A 12 Percent Efficacy Rate?)
This is not the first time a fake Global News article has gone viral. Check Your Fact recently debunked an alleged story from the outlet that claimed the U.S. Marines were allowing soldiers to wear LGBTQ+ pins on their uniforms.