But WHO on November 20 told the media to stop citing the Dat Viet article, saying “This information cannot be substantiated.”

No reporter contacted it to confirm the report’s existence, WHO’s release said.

By then the story had been picked up by other media outlets, it added.

The story was also used by National Assembly members to question Minister of Health Nguyen Quoc Trieu about cooking and safety laws.

The Government Office instructed the information ministry to punish the reporter who wrote the story and others involved and report to the PM by December 5.

Source: TN, Agencies