Details of Chinese government cover-up exposed

Leaked documents obtained by the Associated Press confirmed that Chinese government officials secretly knew the novel coronavirus could become a pandemic in mid-January. According to a memo from a confidential teleconference on Jan. 14, National Health Commission head Ma Xiaowei said the epidemic was “the most severe” since the SARS outbreak in 2003. He also warned of a possible pandemic. But Chinese leader Xi Jinping waited until Jan. 20 to warn the public. By that time, more than 3,000 people had contracted the virus.

What did China’s leaders do in the interim? Government officials initiated field investigations and began temperature checks in Hubei province, where Wuhan is located. They told the World Health Organization it did not have evidence of human-to-human transmission. The government also allowed tens of thousands of Chinese citizens to travel for Lunar New Year celebrations.

Dig deeper: Read my report in The Stew about how lawmakers on Capitol Hill want to hold the Chinese government accountable for misinformation about the pandemic.