Three Vietnamese artists have been fined VND10 million (USD435) each for spreading false information about the coronavirus epidemic.
Three Vietnamese artists, actress Cat Phuong, singer Dam Vinh Hung, and actress Ngo Thanh Van (from left to right), have been fined for spreading false information about the coronavirus epidemic.
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Information and Communications announced on February 12 that they have issued a fine of VND10 million to three local artists including pop singer Dam Vinh Hung, actresses Ngo Thanh Van and Cat Phuong for spreading false information on Facebook, which would badly affect social order.
The three artists had been invited to come to the ministry's headquarters to work with the inspectors. Here the artists admitted that they had posted false information on their Facebook accounts without careful checking.
On January 26, singer Dam Vinh Hung wrote on his Facebook page that two Chinese people died from coronavirus at Cho Ray Hospital.
On her Facebook account, actress Cat Phuong ran a status saying that coronavirus has been detected in District 1 and will soon spread to Districts 3, 5, and7."
On January 31, actress Ngo Thanh Van wrote on her fan page that there were still flights between Vietnam and China's Wuhan City while the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam had already stop granting licenses for flights on that route at that time.
The three artists had removed the false information and sent apologies following opposition from the public.
Several other people were previously fined for the same reasons.