China on Friday denied Western suggestions it had covered up the extent of its coronavirus outbreak and rejected US allegations it has an overly cozy relationship with the World Health Organization.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian acknowledged that the virus’s rapid spread had contributed to undercounting that resulted in China raising its death toll earlier Friday, but added “there has never been any concealment, and we’ll never allow any concealment.”
The allegations China is too close to the World Health Organization (WHO), were an attempt at “smearing” Beijing, Zhao said.
US President Donald Trump has questioned China’s handling of the pandemic and whether it had been completely transparent since the virus emerged in the central city of Wuhan late last year.
On Thursday, British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and French President Emmanuel Macron also expressed doubts about China’s virus response.
These doubts were spotlighted again on Friday when authorities in Wuhan, which has borne the brunt of Chinese deaths, abruptly raised its death toll by 50 percent — or 1,290 deaths — to a new total of 3,869.
That also pushed the nationwide death toll up sharply to 4,632, based on official national data released earlier in the day.
Wuhan authorities cited several reasons for the missed cases, including that the city’s medical staff were overwhelmed in the early days as infections climbed, leading to “late reporting, omissions or mis-reporting”.
Zhao said such miscounting was to be expected in the initial stages of a major disease outbreak.
US President Donald Trump — under fire himself for initially denying the seriousness of the pandemic — has accused the WHO of doing the same and being too trusting of China’s assurances over the outbreak.
On Tuesday he announced a suspension of US funding to the world body.
Asked about the US allegations, Zhao defended the WHO and China.
“I think they are all smearing China and cooking up stories about China,” he said, without specifying which countries he was referring to.
China has largely brought the contagion under control domestically via tough measures including the unprecedented lockdown of Wuhan and tens of millions of people in surrounding areas, but not before it spread worldwide.
– AFP

Subscribe
Notify of
4 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
You May Also Like

Activists call for halt to war in Sri Lanka (Updated with video)

Vigil held at Speakers’ Corner for victims of civil war. Report by Teng Jing Wei.

关卡通关拥堵投诉 尚穆根归咎人手不足

针对近期兀兰和大士关卡堵塞和交通混乱投诉不断增加,内政部长尚穆根归咎于移民局面对人手不足问题。 但他指出,人手短缺并非只在移民局出现,许多部门也面临同样问题。 他在今天巡视兀兰关卡时表示,在年末佳节期间,每天的乘客量比平时增加10巴仙,在大士和兀兰关卡通关人数增加至43万人。 当局增派人手,单在上周就增加500多名关卡人员加班工作。但基于安全因素,尚穆根未透露实际部署的关卡人员总数。 “关卡人员只能由国人担任” 据《今报》报导,尚穆根告诉记者,移民局人手仍不足,因为关卡人员只能由新加坡人来担任。 他强调,关卡人员都已经竭尽所能工作,在佳节期间,只有10巴仙的职员获准拿假。 针对一些柜台关闭的情况,尚穆根解释职员都是根据实际的需求进行部署,例如出境处通关流量较多,就调派多些人手过去,反之亦然。 他指出,职员根本没有闲暇翘脚,他们可能被调派到人流量更高的岗位,长时间工作。也有柜台改为专门处理罗厘的出入境。 两周前,关卡出现大排长龙现象,有民众堵在车龙中达八小时,一些网民指出,移民局并没有开放更多柜台,来疏导缓慢和拥堵的通关情况。 不过,尚穆根相信运用科技能进一步舒缓和增加通关的效率。当局正研究长期性的措施,相信能在不久后对外公布详情。 此外,他也呼吁关卡职员在年末期间仍需保持警惕,保障通关来往旅客民众的安全。…

马国前青体部长赛沙迪 来狮城上课3月薪资捐选区

马来西亚前青年及体育部长、现任麻坡国会议员赛沙迪,将来到新加坡国大李光耀公共政策学院,完成学业。 赛沙迪是在去年获得奖学金,在该学院修读公共政策课程。 他在个人脸书分享,他从去年9月就上网课,不过为了完成实体课,需要来狮城待一个月。 他也表示,在狮城进修一个月期间,本身并没资格领取议员薪水,于是把三月份薪水都捐给选区。 “我会在新加坡一个月,我不是去度假而是去读书。”他称要自我提升并更好地服务选区和马国。 去年,赛沙迪发起“一户一电脑”筹款活动,筹款达标也履行诺言剃光头答谢善心人士。 他也有意成立以青年为主的多元政党,取名马来西亚民主联合阵线,简称MUDA,也就是马来文“年轻”的意思。  

不满没收到补助劵 男子怒偷60张,用剩烧给亡妻!

男子未收到任何必需品补助券(Grocery Vouchers),竟偷了60张原本发放给受疫情影响的所需人士,剩下的烧给给已过世妻子,他为此面对涉嫌盗窃罪,被判4周监禁。 47岁被告刘春发(译音,Alvin Law Choon Huat)涉嫌两项偷盗罪。对此,被告已认罪,另两项则交由法官下判时考量。 案情显示,被告于去年10月在社交媒体上得知居住在一房式和二房式组屋,且拥有不超过一个房产的困难人士,将得到由政府派发的必需品补助券。 被告随后便到自家邮箱查看,但却未看到任何补助券,因而感到失落。为了能掌握补助劵是否已派发,他便前往马林台(Marine Terrace)第51座组屋内查看别人家的邮箱。 他从一些没有盖好或开口损坏的邮箱中发现补助劵已派发出去,让他感到愤愤不平,一气之下从中偷走四名受害者已被密封的信封,每封信封内共有15张补助劵,每张补助劵价值10元。 然而,在他偷走补助劵后的几天,他自己却收到了属于自己的补助劵。他并未及时将补助劵归还,而是将它们用于职总平价市场和Giant购买杂货,还购买了一架吸尘器。 把剩下补助券当祭品烧给亡妻…