A viral claim insisting that US President-elect Joe Biden recently celebrated birthday with a group of people without face masks is found to be hoax. Biden, who turned 78 on 20 November, has been a strong supporter of wearing face masks while in public.
The global pandemic, which started last year in December, has infected more than 12.3 million in US and killed over 257,000 people. Despite WHO and health authorities warning against going maskless in public, many are still paying no heed.
Hoax Started After an Old Video Was Shared on Social Media
The claim regarding maskless Biden celebrating his birthday flouting all the social distancing norms in wake of the pandemic started soon after a video from his birthday party was shared on Twitter.
The video shows a smiling Biden, sans any face covering, standing next to Keisha Lance Bottoms, the mayor of Atlanta, as the crowd merrily sings 'Happy Birthday to You.' Towards the end of the clip, Biden hugs Bottoms.
The clip was shared by Bottoms on Twitter, saying, "Wishing our President-Elect @joebiden a VERY Happy Birthday from the great Blue state of Joe'gia!"
Later, she posted another tweet claiming that the video was from last year's celebrations of Biden's birthday. "Pre-Covid! This was in the @TPStudios White House following the @DNC @msnbc debate on 11/20/19."
Biden Faces Backlash on Social Media
Despite the clarification from Bottoms about the clip being shot during the pre-covid times, it did not stop the social media users from spewing venom at the incoming US President.
Terming Biden and other Democrats a hypocrites, a twitter user wrote: "Its quite funny to see all the democrats push to wear a mask when I have seen multiple instances of Democrats out to eat or at Joe Biden's birthday party and also a democrat party in Brooklyn not wearing masks nor social distancing..WE SEE YOU HYPOCRITES! [All in a weeks time!]"
"Biden birthday party. No masks, no social distancing. Singing and hugging. People you are being played!" wrote another.
"That's alright, because it's not a very deadly virus. Just look at Joe Biden's recent birthday party. No one there seemed to be thinking that the virus is deadly," read another tweet.
