Took swift action to curb Covid-19: China LANKA HOLDS Global Covid death MOCK POLL FOR toll passes 400,000 PARL ELECTION
Beijing, June 7: A beleaguered China on Sunday exonerated itself from the global allegations of delay in reporting the Covid-19 outbreak, saying the virus was first noticed in Wuhan on December 27 as a viral pneumonia and human-to-human transmission was discovered on January 19, after which it took swift actions to curb it.
A whitepaper released by the Chinese government gave a lengthy explanation to refute the allegations of cover up and delay by Beijing on reporting the Covid-19 outbreak last year in Wuhan. US President Donald Trump and leaders of several countries have accused China of not being transparent in reporting the deadly disease.
According to the whitepaper, after the Covid-19 was identified by a hospital in Wuhan on December 27, the local government called experts to look into the cases through an analysis of the patients’ condition and clinical outcome, the findings of epidemiological investigations, and preliminary laboratory testing results. “The conclusion was that they were cases of viral pneumonia,” it said.
Researchers from a highlevel expert team organised by the National Health Commission (NHC) confirmed that the virus was transmissible among humans for the first time on January 19, hours before they notified the public, and less than a month before the experts were alerted by the newly discovered disease, it said.
Colombo, June 7: Sri Lanka’s election commission has held a mock poll in the southern Galle district to test the Covid-19 health guidelines and its preparedness for the parliamentary polls likely to be held between late July and mid August. The polls were to be held on April 25, but were deferred due to the Covid-19 which prompted a lockdown from March 20. Later, the date was shifted to June 20. It was again deemed not suitable.
London, June 7: The worldwide death toll from
Covid-19 has surpassed
400,000, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University that health experts say is still an undercount because many who died were not tested for the virus.
The milestone was reached Sunday, a day after the Brazilian government stopped publishing a running total of Covid-19 deaths and infections.
Critics called the move an extraordinary attempt to hide the true toll of the disease rampaging through Latin America’s largest nation.
Brazil’s last official numbers recorded over 36,000 virus-related deaths, the third-highest toll in the world behind the US and Britain. Worldwide, more than 70 lakh people have been infected by the virus, according to Johns Hopkins. The US has seen more than 112,000 confirmed virus-related deaths and Europe has recorded over 175,000 since the virus emerged in China late last year.
Houston’s police chief says the body of George Floyd has arrived in Texas for a final memorial service and funeral. Police Chief Art Acevedo tweeted early Sunday that Floyd’s family also arrived safely.
A six-hour viewing for Floyd is planned for Monday in Houston, followed by funeral services and burial on Tuesday in the suburb of Pearland. Previous memorials were held in Minneapolis and Raeford, which is near where he was born.