The World Health Organisation (WHO) has dismissed reports in German newspaper Der Spiegel that claimed the Chinese President Xi Jinping had personally requested WHO chief to hold back information on the coronavirus pandemic. Der Spiegel in an article citing intelligence reports claimed that Chinese President Xi Jinping asked the UN agency's Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to hold back information on human-to-human transmission and delay a pandemic warning. WHO said the allegations are "unfounded and untrue" and that the two have never spoken by phone.
"Statement on False Allegations in @derspiegel: Reports of a 21 Jan phone call between @DrTedros & [China] President Xi are unfounded & untrue. They didn’t speak on 21 Jan & have never spoken by [phone]. Such inaccurate reports distract & detract from WHO's & the [World's] efforts to end #COVID19," the WHO said in a statement.
It further added that China confirmed human-to-human transmission of the novel #coronavirus on 20 Jan 2020.
Also Read | China’s President Xi Jinping personally requested WHO chief to dilute severity of COVID-19 outbreak: Report
Latest World News
