Thousands of New Year revellers packed into the centre of&nbsp;Wuhan, the Chinese city where Covid-19 was first detected, cheering and releasing balloons to welcome in 2021.

Police erected fences to try to prevent congestion around the city's Customs House clock tower, but the measure was ineffective due to the large turnout of mainly young people.

Earlier, in his New Year address, President&nbsp;Xi Jinping declared that China has defeated the virus.

The COVID-19 pandemic, which has so far left more than 1.8 million dead and infected more than 82.9 million people, is believed to have originated in&nbsp;Wuhan&nbsp;in late 2019.

Hundreds of people watched a spectacular display with brightly coloured fireworks shooting into the sky, continuing the New Year celebrations from the night before.

But all the firecrackers and neon lights of the world cannot obliterate Wuhan's painful memories. Away from the propaganda police, the people of Wuhan remained scarred by the horror.

Those who lost their loved ones are demanding answers. One of them is Zhang Hai, a&nbsp;local&nbsp;who lost his father to the virus.

Zhang believes his father's life could have been saved. But the&nbsp;authorities did not tell&nbsp;him&nbsp;in time that the virus was contagious.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-china-attempts-to-rewrite-the-story-of-wuhan-with-a-party-353936">WATCH|</a>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-china-attempts-to-rewrite-the-story-of-wuhan-with-a-party-353936/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Speaking to an international news outlet --- Zhang said he won't rest until Wuhan officials are held accountable. He, along with many locals, tried to sue the government in Wuhan. But the attempt hasn't met much success.

The government is rewriting the Wuhan story and the narrative of the victims has no place in it. An exhibition in Wuhan celebrates the contribution of frontline workers...

At the entrance, there's a timeline on display. It describes Chinese President Xi Jinping's actions and decisions during the pandemic.

But it does not say that he was missing in action for weeks in January. It doesn't even mention the Huanan seafood market, where the first cluster of cases was found.

It has not a word on the public outcry that followed or reports that local-level officials hid crucial details in the early days.

The seafood market itself remains partitioned and sealed by eight-foot-high metal barricades.

A team of experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) is scheduled to arrive in China in early January for a long-awaited mission to look into the origins of the coronavirus.

Their first visit since the probe was announced more than six&nbsp;months back and has already a lost cause.

The team of international experts will not conduct an investigation of their own instead, they will augment the studies carried out by China.

It is safe to assume that China has wiped the truth about Wuhan. It only wants the world to see fireworks and pool parties.

Thousands of New Year revellers packed into the centre of Wuhan, the Chinese city where Covid-19 was first detected, cheering and releasing balloons to welcome in 2021.

Thousands of New Year revellers packed into the centre of Wuhan, the Chinese city where Covid-19 was first detected, cheering and releasing balloons to welcome in 2021. Police erected fences to try to prevent congestion around the city's Customs House clock tower, but the measure was ineffective due to the large turnout of mainly young people. Earlier, in his New Year address, President Xi Jinping declared that China has defeated the virus. The COVID-19 pandemic, which has so far left more than 1.8 million dead and infected more than 82.9 million people, is believed to have originated in Wuhan in late 2019. Hundreds of people watched a spectacular display with brightly coloured fireworks shooting into the sky, continuing the New Year celebrations from the night before. But all the firecrackers and neon lights of the world cannot obliterate Wuhan's painful memories. Away from the propaganda police, the people of Wuhan remained scarred by the horror. Those who lost their loved ones are demanding answers. One of them is Zhang Hai, a local who lost his father to the virus. Zhang believes his father's life could have been saved. But the authorities did not tell him in time that the virus was contagious. WATCH| × Speaking to an international news outlet --- Zhang said he won't rest until Wuhan officials are held accountable. He, along with many locals, tried to sue the government in Wuhan. But the attempt hasn't met much success. The government is rewriting the Wuhan story and the narrative of the victims has no place in it. An exhibition in Wuhan celebrates the contribution of frontline workers... At the entrance, there's a timeline on display. It describes Chinese President Xi Jinping's actions and decisions during the pandemic. But it does not say that he was missing in action for weeks in January. It doesn't even mention the Huanan seafood market, where the first cluster of cases was found. It has not a word on the public outcry that followed or reports that local-level officials hid crucial details in the early days. The seafood market itself remains partitioned and sealed by eight-foot-high metal barricades. A team of experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) is scheduled to arrive in China in early January for a long-awaited mission to look into the origins of the coronavirus. Their first visit since the probe was announced more than six months back and has already a lost cause. The team of international experts will not conduct an investigation of their own instead, they will augment the studies carried out by China. It is safe to assume that China has wiped the truth about Wuhan. It only wants the world to see fireworks and pool parties.

Wuhan one year on: Crowds throng to celebrate New Year

Nightclubs in&nbsp;COVID-19's original epicentre Wuhan have reopened&nbsp;as partying remains a distant dream for rest of the world.

Nightlife in Wuhan is back in full swing almost seven months after the city lifted its stringent lockdown and the city’s young partygoers are embracing the catharsis.

In scenes unimaginable in many cities around the world reeling under a resurgence of the pandemic, young Wuhan residents during a recent night out crowd-surfed ate street food and packed the city’s nightclubs as they looked to make up for the lost time.

The revival of the city’s hard-hit nightlife economy offers a glimpse into a post-pandemic lifestyle that many hope will become a reality in 2021, after the global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/after-wuhan-water-park-party-now-beijing-says-face-masks-not-mandatory-in-public-spaces-322235">After Wuhan water park party, now Beijing says face masks not mandatory in public spaces</a>

In a crowded Wuhan beer hall, Zhang Qiong wipes birthday cake from her face after a food fight with her friends.

“After experiencing the first wave of epidemic in Wuhan and then the liberation, I feel like I’m living a second life,” says Zhang, 29, who works in a textiles shop in the central Chinese city that was the original epicentre of COVID-19.

Outside, maskless partygoers spill onto the streets, smoking and playing street games with toy machine guns and balloons.

Wuhan hasn’t reported a new locally transmitted case of the disease since May 10, after undergoing one of the strictest lockdowns worldwide.

The city of 11 million was shut off from the rest of China in a surprise overnight lockdown beginning January 23, with roadblocks erected and planes, trains and buses barred from entering the city. Almost 3,900 of China’s 4,634 recorded COVID-19 deaths occurred in the industrial city.

Students, musicians, artists and young workers, the backbone of the city’s nightlife scene,&nbsp;told stories of being stuck in their homes for months, many using the opportunity to prepare for a time when the city would recover.

“Some of my new music will definitely be about the pandemic time,” said Wang Xinghao, frontman of Wuhan pop-rock band Mad Rat, which drew a crowd of over 100 people to a local venue on a recent Wednesday night.

Wang flailed and jumped on stage, pulling crowd-surfing fans on stage, and at one point, tossed his faux leopard skin coat into the screaming audience.

He said one of the new songs was inspired by the three months he spent living in close quarters with his mother.

Many said the end of the lockdown has inspired larger turnouts.

“During the epidemic time, Wuhan was really a dead city,” said rock music enthusiast Yi Yi after the show. “Now people are all coming out to eat and have fun. I don’t think there were as many people before the epidemic.”

Despite the thriving night scene, Wuhan business and restaurant owners say it could still be some time before the surge in turnover makes up for massive losses during the lockdown.

But for patrons now flooding Wuhan’s nocturnal hotspots, the message is more straightforward.

“I just really want to cherish this time, because in life you never know when it will end,” said Zhang in the Wuhan beer hall. “Make every happy day count.”

Nightclubs in COVID-19's original epicentre Wuhan have reopened as partying remains a distant dream for rest of the world. Nightlife in Wuhan is back in full swing almost seven months after the city lifted its stringent lockdown and the city’s young partygoers are embracing the catharsis.

Nightclubs in COVID-19's original epicentre Wuhan have reopened as partying remains a distant dream for rest of the world. Nightlife in Wuhan is back in full swing almost seven months after the city lifted its stringent lockdown and the city’s young partygoers are embracing the catharsis. In scenes unimaginable in many cities around the world reeling under a resurgence of the pandemic, young Wuhan residents during a recent night out crowd-surfed ate street food and packed the city’s nightclubs as they looked to make up for the lost time. The revival of the city’s hard-hit nightlife economy offers a glimpse into a post-pandemic lifestyle that many hope will become a reality in 2021, after the global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines. Also read: After Wuhan water park party, now Beijing says face masks not mandatory in public spaces In a crowded Wuhan beer hall, Zhang Qiong wipes birthday cake from her face after a food fight with her friends. “After experiencing the first wave of epidemic in Wuhan and then the liberation, I feel like I’m living a second life,” says Zhang, 29, who works in a textiles shop in the central Chinese city that was the original epicentre of COVID-19. Outside, maskless partygoers spill onto the streets, smoking and playing street games with toy machine guns and balloons. Wuhan hasn’t reported a new locally transmitted case of the disease since May 10, after undergoing one of the strictest lockdowns worldwide. The city of 11 million was shut off from the rest of China in a surprise overnight lockdown beginning January 23, with roadblocks erected and planes, trains and buses barred from entering the city. Almost 3,900 of China’s 4,634 recorded COVID-19 deaths occurred in the industrial city. Students, musicians, artists and young workers, the backbone of the city’s nightlife scene, told stories of being stuck in their homes for months, many using the opportunity to prepare for a time when the city would recover. “Some of my new music will definitely be about the pandemic time,” said Wang Xinghao, frontman of Wuhan pop-rock band Mad Rat, which drew a crowd of over 100 people to a local venue on a recent Wednesday night. Wang flailed and jumped on stage, pulling crowd-surfing fans on stage, and at one point, tossed his faux leopard skin coat into the screaming audience. He said one of the new songs was inspired by the three months he spent living in close quarters with his mother. Many said the end of the lockdown has inspired larger turnouts. “During the epidemic time, Wuhan was really a dead city,” said rock music enthusiast Yi Yi after the show. “Now people are all coming out to eat and have fun. I don’t think there were as many people before the epidemic.” Despite the thriving night scene, Wuhan business and restaurant owners say it could still be some time before the surge in turnover makes up for massive losses during the lockdown. But for patrons now flooding Wuhan’s nocturnal hotspots, the message is more straightforward. “I just really want to cherish this time, because in life you never know when it will end,” said Zhang in the Wuhan beer hall. “Make every happy day count.”

Nightclubs reopen in COVID-19's original epicentre Wuhan

In one Beijing artist’s recent depiction of the world in 2098, China is a high-tech superpower and the United States is humbled. Americans have embraced communism and Manhattan, draped with the hammer-and-sickle flags of the “People’s Union of America,” has become a quaint tourist precinct.

This triumphant vision has resonated among Chinese.

The sci-fi digital illustrations by the artist, Fan Wennan, caught fire on Chinese social media in recent months, reflecting a resurgent nationalism. China’s authoritarian system, proponents say, is not just different from the West’s democracies, it is also proving itself superior. It is a long-running theme, but China’s success against the pandemic has given it a sharp boost.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/why-is-chinese-colonisation-a-severe-threat-for-foreign-countries-349795" hreflang="en">Why is Chinese colonisation a severe threat for foreign countries</a>

“America isn’t that heavenly kingdom depicted since decades ago,” said Fan, who is in his early 20s. “There’s nothing special about it. If you have to say there’s anything special about it now, it’s how messed up it can be at times.”

China’s Communist Party, under its leader, Xi Jinping, has promoted the idea that the country is on a trajectory to power past Western rivals.

China stamped out the coronavirus, the messaging goes, with a resolve beyond the reach of flailing Western democracies. Beijing has rolled out homegrown vaccines to more than 1 million people, despite the safety concerns of scientists. China’s economy has revived, defying fears of a deep slump from the pandemic.

“In this fight against the pandemic, there will be victorious powers and defeated ones,” Wang Xiangsui, a retired Chinese senior colonel who teaches at a university in Beijing, averred this month. “We’re a victor power, while the United States is still mired and, I think, may well become a defeated power.”

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/how-is-ccp-using-united-front-work-department-for-its-sinister-agendas-349790" hreflang="en">How is CCP using United Front Work Department for its sinister agendas</a>

The firm leadership of Xi and the party has earned China its recent success, say newspapers, television programs and social media.

“Time to wake up from blind faith in the Western system,” said a commentary in the state-run China Education News last week. “Vicious partisan fighting has worsened in certain Western countries, social fissures have deepened, and a severe social crisis is brewing.”

China’s current swaggering mood could add to the challenges facing Joe Biden when he takes office as president. President Donald Trump’s defeat in the election has done little to ease Chinese suspicion of the United States, said Liu Jianqiu, a businessman and online commentator, in a telephone interview.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/two-million-members-of-chinese-communist-party-infiltrating-worlds-biggest-companies-report-349788" hreflang="en">Two million members of Chinese Communist Party infiltrating world's biggest companies: Report</a>

“I think China has gained the psychological edge,” said Liu, in his 40s, who described the pandemic as a turning point in his attitudes. “The performance of the West was completely out of my expectations and shifted my thinking even more — the facts prove that the American system really has no superiority.”

Combative national pride surged in China in the runup to the Beijing Olympics in 2008, and after the United States bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, in 1999. Now there is a sharper sense that the Western powers are in perhaps irreversible decline, and that the pandemic has confirmed China’s ascent.

“Most ordinary Chinese people previously were more admiring of the United States, but in recent years, the advantages of the Chinese system have become clearer to them,” said Jin Canrong, an international relations professor at Renmin University in Beijing who has become a popular commentator under the nickname “Commissar Jin.” “There’s greater self-confidence.”

China’s diplomats and its state-run media have responded to criticism from Western governments with scornful disdain. Chinese supporters of a more muscular foreign policy call for hitting back against Western critics, especially in the wake of the pandemic.

Le Yucheng, a Chinese vice minister of foreign affairs, said in a speech last week that China was not spoiling for fights, but he also warned other governments not to underestimate its resolve to push back against criticism.

“Faced with this suppression and containment without scruples,” Le said, “we’ll never swallow our pride or stoop to compromise.”

Online, Chinese commentators have plumbed the depths of history to capture the current moment. Some likened the United States to the crumbling British Empire of the last century, overstretched and exhausted.

Others are reaching back further, comparing America to China’s own Ming dynasty, which crumbled in the 1600s under the weight of corruption, insurrections and invasions. In this view that spread online this year, China should take the role of the “barbarian” Manchu armies who — in the commentators’ vivid, not-always-accurate retelling — swept over the Asian steppes, breached the Great Wall, and crushed the Ming rulers.

Modern-day China must act like the Manchu forces, advocates of the analogy say, and prepare to “break through” a ring of geopolitical hostility by dominating vital seas around China.

Geremie R. Barmé, a Sinologist in New Zealand who has followed the rise of “break-through studies” — rùguānxué in Chinese — said the historical comparisons reflect anxiety “about China’s great nation status and its place in the world.”

“The underpinning is that China is morally superior — we the Chinese people under the Communist Party — because we have none of the failings of America,” he said.

China’s leader, Xi, has not commented on the recent pronouncements of American decline. But he sees China and the United States as locked in ideological rivalry. Since coming to power in 2012, he has called for Chinese schools, textbooks and websites to inoculate youth against Western values that could erode party rule and the country’s “cultural self-confidence.”

“Our schooling must never nurture wreckers or gravediggers of socialism,” Xi said in a speech in 2018 that was recently published in a book of his comments on ideology.

Some warn that China risks underestimating the strengths of the United States. In recent months, Chinese scholars have debated how Beijing should handle the post-COVID world, with a good number urging restraint as the best way to win lasting influence.

“China’s high-volume nationalism at home is making the United States feel that China is getting aggressive,” Xiao Gongqin, a historian in Shanghai wrote in an essay that was published last month, prompting wide discussion.

The United States is far from the only country feeling the lash of official and public anger from China. Australia has drawn China’s ire for criticizing Beijing, initiating laws aimed at reducing Chinese government influence-building efforts in Australia, and urging an investigation into the origin of the pandemic — a touchy subject in Beijing.

Last month, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson tweeted a Chinese artist’s fabricated image of an Australian soldier poised to slit the throat of an Afghan child. Australia’s prime minister, Scott Morrison, demanded an apology from China over the image, which was a reference to an inquiry by the Australian military that found that its troops had unlawfully killed more than three dozen Afghan civilians.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry scoffed at Morrison’s demand, and the artist who created the image, Fu Yu, created another one mocking the Australian leader. Fu, who works under the name Wuhe Qilin, had made a reputation with his scathing images of the United States as a blood-soaked, irrational medieval realm.

“Chinese values and American values are totally at odds,” Fu said late last month on a Chinese online talk show broadcast last week. “These values are in fundamental conflict.”

In one Beijing artist’s recent depiction of the world in 2098, China is a high-tech superpower and the United States is humbled. Americans have embraced communism and Manhattan, draped with the hammer-and-sickle flags of the “People’s Union of America,” has become a quaint tourist precinct.

In one Beijing artist’s recent depiction of the world in 2098, China is a high-tech superpower and the United States is humbled. Americans have embraced communism and Manhattan, draped with the hammer-and-sickle flags of the “People’s Union of America,” has become a quaint tourist precinct. This triumphant vision has resonated among Chinese. The sci-fi digital illustrations by the artist, Fan Wennan, caught fire on Chinese social media in recent months, reflecting a resurgent nationalism. China’s authoritarian system, proponents say, is not just different from the West’s democracies, it is also proving itself superior. It is a long-running theme, but China’s success against the pandemic has given it a sharp boost. Also read| Why is Chinese colonisation a severe threat for foreign countries “America isn’t that heavenly kingdom depicted since decades ago,” said Fan, who is in his early 20s. “There’s nothing special about it. If you have to say there’s anything special about it now, it’s how messed up it can be at times.” China’s Communist Party, under its leader, Xi Jinping, has promoted the idea that the country is on a trajectory to power past Western rivals. China stamped out the coronavirus, the messaging goes, with a resolve beyond the reach of flailing Western democracies. Beijing has rolled out homegrown vaccines to more than 1 million people, despite the safety concerns of scientists. China’s economy has revived, defying fears of a deep slump from the pandemic. “In this fight against the pandemic, there will be victorious powers and defeated ones,” Wang Xiangsui, a retired Chinese senior colonel who teaches at a university in Beijing, averred this month. “We’re a victor power, while the United States is still mired and, I think, may well become a defeated power.” Also read| How is CCP using United Front Work Department for its sinister agendas The firm leadership of Xi and the party has earned China its recent success, say newspapers, television programs and social media. “Time to wake up from blind faith in the Western system,” said a commentary in the state-run China Education News last week. “Vicious partisan fighting has worsened in certain Western countries, social fissures have deepened, and a severe social crisis is brewing.” China’s current swaggering mood could add to the challenges facing Joe Biden when he takes office as president. President Donald Trump’s defeat in the election has done little to ease Chinese suspicion of the United States, said Liu Jianqiu, a businessman and online commentator, in a telephone interview. Also read| Two million members of Chinese Communist Party infiltrating world's biggest companies: Report “I think China has gained the psychological edge,” said Liu, in his 40s, who described the pandemic as a turning point in his attitudes. “The performance of the West was completely out of my expectations and shifted my thinking even more — the facts prove that the American system really has no superiority.” Combative national pride surged in China in the runup to the Beijing Olympics in 2008, and after the United States bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, in 1999. Now there is a sharper sense that the Western powers are in perhaps irreversible decline, and that the pandemic has confirmed China’s ascent. “Most ordinary Chinese people previously were more admiring of the United States, but in recent years, the advantages of the Chinese system have become clearer to them,” said Jin Canrong, an international relations professor at Renmin University in Beijing who has become a popular commentator under the nickname “Commissar Jin.” “There’s greater self-confidence.” China’s diplomats and its state-run media have responded to criticism from Western governments with scornful disdain. Chinese supporters of a more muscular foreign policy call for hitting back against Western critics, especially in the wake of the pandemic. Le Yucheng, a Chinese vice minister of foreign affairs, said in a speech last week that China was not spoiling for fights, but he also warned other governments not to underestimate its resolve to push back against criticism. “Faced with this suppression and containment without scruples,” Le said, “we’ll never swallow our pride or stoop to compromise.” Online, Chinese commentators have plumbed the depths of history to capture the current moment. Some likened the United States to the crumbling British Empire of the last century, overstretched and exhausted. Others are reaching back further, comparing America to China’s own Ming dynasty, which crumbled in the 1600s under the weight of corruption, insurrections and invasions. In this view that spread online this year, China should take the role of the “barbarian” Manchu armies who — in the commentators’ vivid, not-always-accurate retelling — swept over the Asian steppes, breached the Great Wall, and crushed the Ming rulers. Modern-day China must act like the Manchu forces, advocates of the analogy say, and prepare to “break through” a ring of geopolitical hostility by dominating vital seas around China. Geremie R. Barmé, a Sinologist in New Zealand who has followed the rise of “break-through studies” — rùguānxué in Chinese — said the historical comparisons reflect anxiety “about China’s great nation status and its place in the world.” “The underpinning is that China is morally superior — we the Chinese people under the Communist Party — because we have none of the failings of America,” he said. China’s leader, Xi, has not commented on the recent pronouncements of American decline. But he sees China and the United States as locked in ideological rivalry. Since coming to power in 2012, he has called for Chinese schools, textbooks and websites to inoculate youth against Western values that could erode party rule and the country’s “cultural self-confidence.” “Our schooling must never nurture wreckers or gravediggers of socialism,” Xi said in a speech in 2018 that was recently published in a book of his comments on ideology. Some warn that China risks underestimating the strengths of the United States. In recent months, Chinese scholars have debated how Beijing should handle the post-COVID world, with a good number urging restraint as the best way to win lasting influence. “China’s high-volume nationalism at home is making the United States feel that China is getting aggressive,” Xiao Gongqin, a historian in Shanghai wrote in an essay that was published last month, prompting wide discussion. The United States is far from the only country feeling the lash of official and public anger from China. Australia has drawn China’s ire for criticizing Beijing, initiating laws aimed at reducing Chinese government influence-building efforts in Australia, and urging an investigation into the origin of the pandemic — a touchy subject in Beijing. Last month, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson tweeted a Chinese artist’s fabricated image of an Australian soldier poised to slit the throat of an Afghan child. Australia’s prime minister, Scott Morrison, demanded an apology from China over the image, which was a reference to an inquiry by the Australian military that found that its troops had unlawfully killed more than three dozen Afghan civilians. The Chinese Foreign Ministry scoffed at Morrison’s demand, and the artist who created the image, Fu Yu, created another one mocking the Australian leader. Fu, who works under the name Wuhe Qilin, had made a reputation with his scathing images of the United States as a blood-soaked, irrational medieval realm. “Chinese values and American values are totally at odds,” Fu said late last month on a Chinese online talk show broadcast last week. “These values are in fundamental conflict.”

China’s combative nationalists see a world turning their way

The overall number of global coronavirus cases has topped 69.6 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 1.58 million, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The worldwide number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has surpassed 69.6 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 1.58 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

In its latest update on Friday, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 69,496,859 and 1,580,727, respectively.

The US is the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 15,599,122 and 292,001, respectively, according to the CSSE.

India comes in second place in terms of cases at 9,767,371, while the country's death toll soared to 141,772.

The other countries with more than a million confirmed cases are Brazil (6,781,799), Russia (2,546,113), France (2,391,643), the UK (1,792,611), Italy (1,787,147), Spain (1,720,056), Argentina (1,482,216), Colombia (1,399,911), Germany (1,270,757), Mexico (1,217,126), Poland (1,102,096) and Iran (1,083,023), the CSSE figures showed.

Brazil currently accounts for the second-highest number of fatalities at 179,765.

The countries with a death toll above 20,000 are Mexico (112,326), the UK (63,179), Italy (62,626), France (57,044), Iran (51,496), Spain (47,344), Russia (44,769), Argentina (40,431), Colombia (38,484), Peru (36,401), South Africa (22,747), Poland (21,630) and Germany (20,737).

(With inputs from agencies)

The overall number of global coronavirus cases has topped 69.6 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 1.58 million, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The overall number of global coronavirus cases has topped 69.6 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 1.58 million, according to Johns Hopkins University. The worldwide number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has surpassed 69.6 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 1.58 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University. In its latest update on Friday, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 69,496,859 and 1,580,727, respectively. The US is the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 15,599,122 and 292,001, respectively, according to the CSSE. India comes in second place in terms of cases at 9,767,371, while the country's death toll soared to 141,772. The other countries with more than a million confirmed cases are Brazil (6,781,799), Russia (2,546,113), France (2,391,643), the UK (1,792,611), Italy (1,787,147), Spain (1,720,056), Argentina (1,482,216), Colombia (1,399,911), Germany (1,270,757), Mexico (1,217,126), Poland (1,102,096) and Iran (1,083,023), the CSSE figures showed. Brazil currently accounts for the second-highest number of fatalities at 179,765. The countries with a death toll above 20,000 are Mexico (112,326), the UK (63,179), Italy (62,626), France (57,044), Iran (51,496), Spain (47,344), Russia (44,769), Argentina (40,431), Colombia (38,484), Peru (36,401), South Africa (22,747), Poland (21,630) and Germany (20,737). (With inputs from agencies)

Worldwide coronavirus cases surpass 69.6 million-mark

China's Sinovac Biotech has secured $515 million in funding from a local firm to double the production capacity of its coronavirus vaccine, the companies said on Monday, as it expects efficacy data of its experimental shot this month.

The investment deal also comes as Sinovac expands supply deals and trials of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine CoronaVac with more countries following positive results from early to mid-stage clinical trials.

China's Sino Biopharmaceutical Limited said on Monday a business unit will invest $515 million in Sinovac Life Sciences, a subsidiary of Sinovac, to help development and production of CoronaVac.

The investment will give Sino Biopharmaceutical a 15.03% interest in Sinovac Life Sciences, Sino Biopharmaceutical said in a filing to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Sinovac said in a separate statement that it would be able to manufacture 300 million vaccine doses annually and aims to complete construction of a second production facility by the end of 2020 to increase annual COVID-19 vaccine production capacity to 600 million doses.

Depending on market conditions and the availability of financing, it may seek to further expand its production capacity, Sinovac said.

Sinovac has secured CoronaVac supply deals with several countries including Indonesia, Turkey, Brazil and Chile, and is holding talks with the Philippines for a potential sale.

CoronaVac is also one of three experimental COVID-19 vaccines China has been using to inoculate around 1 million people under an emergency use programme.

Brazil's Butantan Institute biomedical centre, which is running a Phase 3 trial of CoronaVac in the country, said last week that Sinovac was expected to publish efficacy results from its vaccine trials by December 15.

China's Sinovac Biotech has secured $515 million in funding from a local firm to double the production capacity of its coronavirus vaccine, the companies said on Monday, as it expects efficacy data of its experimental shot this month.

China's Sinovac Biotech has secured $515 million in funding from a local firm to double the production capacity of its coronavirus vaccine, the companies said on Monday, as it expects efficacy data of its experimental shot this month. The investment deal also comes as Sinovac expands supply deals and trials of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine CoronaVac with more countries following positive results from early to mid-stage clinical trials. China's Sino Biopharmaceutical Limited said on Monday a business unit will invest $515 million in Sinovac Life Sciences, a subsidiary of Sinovac, to help development and production of CoronaVac. The investment will give Sino Biopharmaceutical a 15.03% interest in Sinovac Life Sciences, Sino Biopharmaceutical said in a filing to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Sinovac said in a separate statement that it would be able to manufacture 300 million vaccine doses annually and aims to complete construction of a second production facility by the end of 2020 to increase annual COVID-19 vaccine production capacity to 600 million doses. Depending on market conditions and the availability of financing, it may seek to further expand its production capacity, Sinovac said. Sinovac has secured CoronaVac supply deals with several countries including Indonesia, Turkey, Brazil and Chile, and is holding talks with the Philippines for a potential sale. CoronaVac is also one of three experimental COVID-19 vaccines China has been using to inoculate around 1 million people under an emergency use programme. Brazil's Butantan Institute biomedical centre, which is running a Phase 3 trial of CoronaVac in the country, said last week that Sinovac was expected to publish efficacy results from its vaccine trials by December 15.

China's Sinovac secures $515 million to boost covid vaccine production 

Chinese state media have cited the presence of the novel coronavirus on imported frozen food packaging, as well as scientific papers,&nbsp;claiming that the coronavirus was circulating in Europe earlier than previously believed, as evidence that China may not have been its origin.

“#COVID19 did not start in central China’s Wuhan but may come through imported frozen food and packaging: experts,” said a Wednesday Facebook post by the ruling Communist Party’s official People’s Daily.

Unlike other countries, China cites frozen food packaging as a risk of spreading COVID-19. It has stepped up inspections and made a spate of announcements that the virus was found on chilled food packaging, prompting rejections of goods and complaints from exporters, even though the World Health Organization says neither food nor packaging is a known transmission route.

To this end,&nbsp;the World Health Organisation's top emergency expert said on Friday it would be "highly speculative" for the WHO to say the coronavirus did not emerge in China, where it was first identified in a food market in December last year.

China is pushing a narrative via state media that the virus existed abroad before it was discovered in the central city of Wuhan, citing the presence of coronavirus on imported frozen food packaging and scientific papers claiming it had been circulating in Europe last year.

"I think it`s highly speculative for us to say that the disease did not emerge in China," Mike Ryan said at a virtual briefing in Geneva after being asked if COVID-19 could have first emerged outside China.

He repeated that the WHO intended to send researchers to the Wuhan food market to probe the virus origins further. 
The WHO has been accused by the Trump administration of being "China-centric", allegations it has repeatedly denied.

The Global Times, a nationalist tabloid published by the People’s Daily, has also promoted the theory that COVID-19 originated outside China.

“When and where did the virus start circulating? Tracing the virus cannot answer all questions, but it is very likely that the virus had co-existed in multiple places before being spotted in Wuhan,” Zeng Guang, former chief epidemiologist of China’s Center for Disease Control, said in Tuesday’s Global Times.

The fact that it was detected first in Wuhan was a testament to the strength of China’s infectious disease prevention system, which was developed in response to the SARS outbreak in 2002-2003, Zeng also said last week.

SEWAGE SAMPLES

Speculation and conspiracy theories over the virus’s origins have abounded, fuelled by China’s early suppression of information and its resistance to providing access to overseas experts. In March, a foreign ministry spokesman suggested that the U.S. army brought the virus to Wuhan.

The Chinese government’s top diplomat, State Councillor Wang Yi, has also said it was unclear whether the virus originated in China, while the foreign ministry has said the origin is a scientific matter and has rebuked countries that point to China as the source, including the United States and Australia.

Zeng and Chinese state media have cited a paper published by Italy’s National Cancer Institute which said COVID-19 antibodies had been found in samples of cancer patients taken there in October last year.

Another paper published earlier this year claimed to have found traces of SARS-Cov-2 in the sewage system of Barcelona in samples taken in March 2019.

Both studies have drawn criticism in the West.

“Strong claims supported by flimsy evidence get widely reported without the necessary scrutiny and consideration of a wider body of available evidence,” Francois Balloux, a geneticist at University College London, said on Twitter.

He said that even if the virus was present in Italy in September, it doesn’t necessarily mean it originated there.

“One strong line of evidence is that by far the closest virus we know to SARS-Cov-2 is circulating in bats in China. Moving the timeline, you could still have essentially the same origin in East Asia, and most likely China, which then would spread to other parts of the world,” he told Reuters.

“That would not change the narrative about the origin.”

But Peter Ben Embarek, WHO’s expert in animal diseases, appeared to open the door to other possible origins than Wuhan in remarks at a social media event in Geneva on Wednesday.

He said it would be important to investigate whether the market workers had “some commonalities outside Wuhan, in some of the countryside or provinces or farming environments or hunting environments in southern China or perhaps even outside China?”

Chinese state media have cited the presence of the novel coronavirus on imported frozen food packaging, as well as scientific papers, claiming that the coronavirus was circulating in Europe earlier than previously believed, as evidence that China may not have been its origin.

Chinese state media have cited the presence of the novel coronavirus on imported frozen food packaging, as well as scientific papers, claiming that the coronavirus was circulating in Europe earlier than previously believed, as evidence that China may not have been its origin. “#COVID19 did not start in central China’s Wuhan but may come through imported frozen food and packaging: experts,” said a Wednesday Facebook post by the ruling Communist Party’s official People’s Daily. Unlike other countries, China cites frozen food packaging as a risk of spreading COVID-19. It has stepped up inspections and made a spate of announcements that the virus was found on chilled food packaging, prompting rejections of goods and complaints from exporters, even though the World Health Organization says neither food nor packaging is a known transmission route. To this end, the World Health Organisation's top emergency expert said on Friday it would be "highly speculative" for the WHO to say the coronavirus did not emerge in China, where it was first identified in a food market in December last year. China is pushing a narrative via state media that the virus existed abroad before it was discovered in the central city of Wuhan, citing the presence of coronavirus on imported frozen food packaging and scientific papers claiming it had been circulating in Europe last year. "I think it`s highly speculative for us to say that the disease did not emerge in China," Mike Ryan said at a virtual briefing in Geneva after being asked if COVID-19 could have first emerged outside China. He repeated that the WHO intended to send researchers to the Wuhan food market to probe the virus origins further. The WHO has been accused by the Trump administration of being "China-centric", allegations it has repeatedly denied. The Global Times, a nationalist tabloid published by the People’s Daily, has also promoted the theory that COVID-19 originated outside China. “When and where did the virus start circulating? Tracing the virus cannot answer all questions, but it is very likely that the virus had co-existed in multiple places before being spotted in Wuhan,” Zeng Guang, former chief epidemiologist of China’s Center for Disease Control, said in Tuesday’s Global Times. The fact that it was detected first in Wuhan was a testament to the strength of China’s infectious disease prevention system, which was developed in response to the SARS outbreak in 2002-2003, Zeng also said last week. SEWAGE SAMPLES Speculation and conspiracy theories over the virus’s origins have abounded, fuelled by China’s early suppression of information and its resistance to providing access to overseas experts. In March, a foreign ministry spokesman suggested that the U.S. army brought the virus to Wuhan. The Chinese government’s top diplomat, State Councillor Wang Yi, has also said it was unclear whether the virus originated in China, while the foreign ministry has said the origin is a scientific matter and has rebuked countries that point to China as the source, including the United States and Australia. Zeng and Chinese state media have cited a paper published by Italy’s National Cancer Institute which said COVID-19 antibodies had been found in samples of cancer patients taken there in October last year. Another paper published earlier this year claimed to have found traces of SARS-Cov-2 in the sewage system of Barcelona in samples taken in March 2019. Both studies have drawn criticism in the West. “Strong claims supported by flimsy evidence get widely reported without the necessary scrutiny and consideration of a wider body of available evidence,” Francois Balloux, a geneticist at University College London, said on Twitter. He said that even if the virus was present in Italy in September, it doesn’t necessarily mean it originated there. “One strong line of evidence is that by far the closest virus we know to SARS-Cov-2 is circulating in bats in China. Moving the timeline, you could still have essentially the same origin in East Asia, and most likely China, which then would spread to other parts of the world,” he told Reuters. “That would not change the narrative about the origin.” But Peter Ben Embarek, WHO’s expert in animal diseases, appeared to open the door to other possible origins than Wuhan in remarks at a social media event in Geneva on Wednesday. He said it would be important to investigate whether the market workers had “some commonalities outside Wuhan, in some of the countryside or provinces or farming environments or hunting environments in southern China or perhaps even outside China?”

With frozen food clampdown, China questions theory of coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan

A Chinese ex-lawyer and a citizen journalist, Zhang Zhan, is being subjected to a possible jail time for nearly five years for reporting on the coronavirus pandemic, that allegedly started in a Wuhan lab.

The 37-year-old Shanghai-based citizen journalist was arrested by the local police authorities in mid-May on the allegations of "picking quarrels and provoking trouble".

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/dr-li-meng-yan-virologist-who-claims-covid-19-manufactured-in-china-lab-challenges-facebook-335158">Dr Li-Meng Yan, virologist who claims COVID-19 manufactured in China lab challenges Facebook</a>

The district prosecutors are now alleging her of fabricating information related to the novel coronavirus which has affected millions of lives all around the world since the end of 2019. "She is now being accused of fabricating malicious and false information about the coronavirus pandemic in Wuhan and accepting interviews with overseas media," a source revealed.

There are also fears that she will be punished with maximum penalty, as the prosecutors are now also citing her alleged previous offences from 2018 and 2019.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/coronavirus-mutations-appearing-in-siberia-russian-scientists-343820">Coronavirus mutations appearing in Siberia: Russian scientists</a>

Zhan, who is currently in a detention centre in Shanghai, has resumed eating food on regular basis. The citizen journalist had earlier gone on a hunger strike in the second month of her arrest, claiming she will break the strike only if she is released unconditionally. "She was initially being force-fed and put on drips when she first started the hunger strike as she demanded to be released unconditionally," the source revealed. At that time, her cell-mates were being asked to force-feed her. However, later, she resumed consuming food on her own.

She was arrested after she travelled to Wuhan, where the coronavirus allegedly began and live-streamed the condition of the city through her social media accounts on Twitter and Facebook. She also penned down an article criticising the way the outbreak was handled by the Chinese government and raised the question of whether the censorship in the severity of the outbreak was intentional by Xi's government.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/human-to-human-transmission-of-rare-chapare-virus-in-bolivia-confirmed-by-scientists-343728">Human-to-human transmission of rare 'Chapare virus' in Bolivia confirmed by scientists</a>

Following the live streaming and the reports, Zhan was arrested by the Shanghai Police on May 15, but was officially charged three months later, citing concerns about her safety and well-being. Now, in addition to allegedly generating fale information, she is also being charged&nbsp;for “picking quarrels” and “disrupting public order" — two offences from&nbsp;April and November 2019 respectively&nbsp;and&nbsp;for allegedly inciting subversion — an accusation from August 2018.

If proven guilty, she could face a jail term for four to five years.

In addition to Zhan, three other citizen journalists —&nbsp;Li Zehua, Chen Qiushi and Fang Bin — have also been detained by the Chinese government on the allegation of generating false information, after they live-streamed the condition of the country during the pandemic, and questioned the government's motives.

A Chinese ex-lawyer and a citizen journalist, Zhang Zhan, is being subjected to a possible jail time for nearly five years for reporting on the coronavirus pandemic, that allegedly started in a Wuhan lab.

A Chinese ex-lawyer and a citizen journalist, Zhang Zhan, is being subjected to a possible jail time for nearly five years for reporting on the coronavirus pandemic, that allegedly started in a Wuhan lab. The 37-year-old Shanghai-based citizen journalist was arrested by the local police authorities in mid-May on the allegations of "picking quarrels and provoking trouble". Also read| Dr Li-Meng Yan, virologist who claims COVID-19 manufactured in China lab challenges Facebook The district prosecutors are now alleging her of fabricating information related to the novel coronavirus which has affected millions of lives all around the world since the end of 2019. "She is now being accused of fabricating malicious and false information about the coronavirus pandemic in Wuhan and accepting interviews with overseas media," a source revealed. There are also fears that she will be punished with maximum penalty, as the prosecutors are now also citing her alleged previous offences from 2018 and 2019. Also read| Coronavirus mutations appearing in Siberia: Russian scientists Zhan, who is currently in a detention centre in Shanghai, has resumed eating food on regular basis. The citizen journalist had earlier gone on a hunger strike in the second month of her arrest, claiming she will break the strike only if she is released unconditionally. "She was initially being force-fed and put on drips when she first started the hunger strike as she demanded to be released unconditionally," the source revealed. At that time, her cell-mates were being asked to force-feed her. However, later, she resumed consuming food on her own. She was arrested after she travelled to Wuhan, where the coronavirus allegedly began and live-streamed the condition of the city through her social media accounts on Twitter and Facebook. She also penned down an article criticising the way the outbreak was handled by the Chinese government and raised the question of whether the censorship in the severity of the outbreak was intentional by Xi's government. Also read| Human-to-human transmission of rare 'Chapare virus' in Bolivia confirmed by scientists Following the live streaming and the reports, Zhan was arrested by the Shanghai Police on May 15, but was officially charged three months later, citing concerns about her safety and well-being. Now, in addition to allegedly generating fale information, she is also being charged for “picking quarrels” and “disrupting public order" — two offences from April and November 2019 respectively and for allegedly inciting subversion — an accusation from August 2018. If proven guilty, she could face a jail term for four to five years. In addition to Zhan, three other citizen journalists — Li Zehua, Chen Qiushi and Fang Bin — have also been detained by the Chinese government on the allegation of generating false information, after they live-streamed the condition of the country during the pandemic, and questioned the government's motives.

Chinese citizen journalist who uncovered COVID-19 truth faces possibility of jail time: Reports

China has imposed fresh travel bans on non-Chinese arrivals from Britain and Belgium, as it guards against a resurgence of the coronavirus by refusing entry to people from two of Europe's worst-hit nations.

Covid-19 first emerged in central China late last year, but Beijing has largely brought its own outbreak under control through tight travel restrictions and stringent health measures for anyone entering the country.

In March, as the virus ripped across the world, China shut its borders to all foreign nationals.

It gradually eased those restrictions to allow those stranded overseas to return with special permission from its embassies, negative Covid-19 tests and a two-week quarantine on arrival.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/traffic-jams-as-long-as-1200-miles-seen-in-london-before-coronavirus-lockdown-340714" hreflang="en">Traffic jams as long as 1200 miles seen in London before coronavirus lockdown</a>

But in a sharp reversal as the outbreak once more billows out across Europe, the Chinese embassy in the UK said Beijing had "decided to temporarily suspend entry into China by non-Chinese nationals".&nbsp;

"The suspension is a temporary response necessitated by the current situation of Covid-19," it said Wednesday.

The Chinese embassy website in Belgium announced a similar ban on travellers as a "last resort in response to the current pandemic".&nbsp;

The Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately reply to an AFP request for comment.

The UK, one of the world's hardest hit countries with nearly 48,000 deaths linked to the virus and more than one million cases, has entered a new nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the pandemic.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-registers-highest-covid-19-cases-in-24-hours-amid-elections-340645" hreflang="en">US registers highest COVID-19 cases in 24 hours amid elections</a>

Belgium, which has the most Covid-19 cases per capita in the world, has been in lockdown since last week.

The websites of Chinese embassies in other European countries were not carrying similar notices on Thursday morning, and citizens of these countries with visas are able to travel to China, subject to conditions.

Beijing has recently tightened requirements for travellers from several countries, making entry much more difficult.

These requirements include the presentation of a health certificate from the local Chinese embassy showing the results of a nucleic acid test and an antibody test -- within 48 hours of travel.

The new rules apply to travellers from countries including France, India, Singapore, Canada, Germany, Pakistan, South Africa and the US.

The strict two-test entry requirement and short time frame have sparked complaints.

The European Chamber of Commerce in China said the measures were "a de facto ban on anyone trying to get back to their lives, work and families in China".

China has imposed fresh travel bans on non-Chinese arrivals from Britain and Belgium, as it guards against a resurgence of the coronavirus by refusing entry to people from two of Europe's worst-hit nations.

China has imposed fresh travel bans on non-Chinese arrivals from Britain and Belgium, as it guards against a resurgence of the coronavirus by refusing entry to people from two of Europe's worst-hit nations. Covid-19 first emerged in central China late last year, but Beijing has largely brought its own outbreak under control through tight travel restrictions and stringent health measures for anyone entering the country. In March, as the virus ripped across the world, China shut its borders to all foreign nationals. It gradually eased those restrictions to allow those stranded overseas to return with special permission from its embassies, negative Covid-19 tests and a two-week quarantine on arrival. Also read| Traffic jams as long as 1200 miles seen in London before coronavirus lockdown But in a sharp reversal as the outbreak once more billows out across Europe, the Chinese embassy in the UK said Beijing had "decided to temporarily suspend entry into China by non-Chinese nationals". "The suspension is a temporary response necessitated by the current situation of Covid-19," it said Wednesday. The Chinese embassy website in Belgium announced a similar ban on travellers as a "last resort in response to the current pandemic". The Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately reply to an AFP request for comment. The UK, one of the world's hardest hit countries with nearly 48,000 deaths linked to the virus and more than one million cases, has entered a new nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the pandemic. Also read| US registers highest COVID-19 cases in 24 hours amid elections Belgium, which has the most Covid-19 cases per capita in the world, has been in lockdown since last week. The websites of Chinese embassies in other European countries were not carrying similar notices on Thursday morning, and citizens of these countries with visas are able to travel to China, subject to conditions. Beijing has recently tightened requirements for travellers from several countries, making entry much more difficult. These requirements include the presentation of a health certificate from the local Chinese embassy showing the results of a nucleic acid test and an antibody test -- within 48 hours of travel. The new rules apply to travellers from countries including France, India, Singapore, Canada, Germany, Pakistan, South Africa and the US. The strict two-test entry requirement and short time frame have sparked complaints. The European Chamber of Commerce in China said the measures were "a de facto ban on anyone trying to get back to their lives, work and families in China".

Beijing bars arrivals from UK, Belgium due to second COVID-19 waves

Kashgar, a remote city in China’s in the north-western region of Xinjiang detected more than 100 asymptomatic Covid-19 cases on Sunday, the regional health authority said.

The authorities registered 137 new asymptomatic coronavirus cases in Kashgar. Kashgar is an Ancient City well protected under a Chinese government-sponsored renovation project in 2010.

The new cases marked mainland China's first local infections since October 14, when one was detected in Qingdao. Xinjiang was the site of a local cluster in August, but no new cases had been found in the region since Aug. 15.

Kashgar launched a testing programme on Saturday night covering the region’s 4.75 million people. As of Sunday afternoon, more than 2.84 million people had been tested and the rest would be covered by Tuesday, the city government said in a statement.

The Kashgar government said on Sunday all schools except universities will be closed through Friday but supermarkets and shopping malls would remain open.

Four towns in the Kashgar region were identified as “high-risk” areas, according to a statement from Kashgar city authority on Sunday night, and stringent controls such as travel restrictions are expected.

China’s national health commission dispatched experts on Sunday to guide coronavirus control work in the ancient Silk Road city of Kashgar.

The novel coronavirus was first identified in the central Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of last year. As of Saturday, mainland China had 85,790 confirmed coronavirus cases, the health authority said. The COVID-19 death toll stands at 4,634.

(With inputs from agencies)

Kashgar, a remote city in China’s in the north-western region of Xinjiang detected more than 100 asymptomatic Covid-19 cases on Sunday, the regional health authority said.

Kashgar, a remote city in China’s in the north-western region of Xinjiang detected more than 100 asymptomatic Covid-19 cases on Sunday, the regional health authority said. The authorities registered 137 new asymptomatic coronavirus cases in Kashgar. Kashgar is an Ancient City well protected under a Chinese government-sponsored renovation project in 2010. The new cases marked mainland China's first local infections since October 14, when one was detected in Qingdao. Xinjiang was the site of a local cluster in August, but no new cases had been found in the region since Aug. 15. Kashgar launched a testing programme on Saturday night covering the region’s 4.75 million people. As of Sunday afternoon, more than 2.84 million people had been tested and the rest would be covered by Tuesday, the city government said in a statement. The Kashgar government said on Sunday all schools except universities will be closed through Friday but supermarkets and shopping malls would remain open. Four towns in the Kashgar region were identified as “high-risk” areas, according to a statement from Kashgar city authority on Sunday night, and stringent controls such as travel restrictions are expected. China’s national health commission dispatched experts on Sunday to guide coronavirus control work in the ancient Silk Road city of Kashgar. The novel coronavirus was first identified in the central Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of last year. As of Saturday, mainland China had 85,790 confirmed coronavirus cases, the health authority said. The COVID-19 death toll stands at 4,634. (With inputs from agencies)

New coronavirus outbreak detected in China's Kashgar city

It has been nearly ten months since the pandemic took over the world. The novel coronavirus, numerous reports claim, was originated in China's Wuhan, and some even claim that the virus is Wuhan lab-made.&nbsp;

Some reports also accuse China and the&nbsp;World Health Organization (WHO) of covering up the pandemic. However, these accusations&nbsp;have not been proved yet.

Taiwan, however, believes that the virus did originate from China. In an exclusive interview with WION, the&nbsp;Minister of Foreign Affairs, Taiwan, Joseph Wu, said: "To us, there's no doubt".&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-puts-pressure-on-nations-to-not-recognise-taiwan-as-a-country-foreign-minister-joseph-wu-tells-wion-336966">Also read|&nbsp;China puts pressure on nations to not recognise Taiwan as a country: Foreign Minister Joseph Wu tells WION</a>

Dr Wu said that Taiwan reached out to&nbsp;the Chinese health authorities and the WHO&nbsp;in December 2019&nbsp;when Taiwan's health experts saw some internet reports and videos of patients being treated in isolation which reflected that there was&nbsp;human transmission.

"When we saw some internet discussions in China back in December last year, our health experts in our CDC had got nervous and therefore they sent an email to the World Health Organization and they also sent an email to the Chinese health authorities asking them what is going on."

Taiwan claims that they are sure the virus originated from Wuhan and therefore they started taking precautions against the people coming from China.&nbsp;"We don't have any hesitation. We started checking the&nbsp;passengers coming back from Wuhan onboard. So, to us, there is no doubt that Wuhan is the origin of this pandemic throughout the world."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-trying-to-export-its-authoritarianism-to-distract-from-domestic-issues-joseph-wu-taiwans-foreign-minister-tells-wion-336969">Also read|&nbsp;China trying to export its authoritarianism to distract from domestic issues: Joseph Wu, Taiwan's Foreign Minister tells WION</a>

He also added that an investigation&nbsp;of where the pandemic is originated from should be conducted, and there should be&nbsp;"international cooperation to see how we can stop the pandemic from spreading."

Is WHO guilty of a cover-up?

When asked if he believes WHO helped China cover up the pandemic, he said, "At the beginning, the WHO did not seem to be identifying the coronavirus as a very serious threat to the international community and the consensus is that when the WHO started to get serious when it was too late."

He also added that he hopes the WHO and all other international communities treat this as a learning lesson. "I think we need to pay attention to any transmittable diseases among human beings in a very serious way to prevent the next wave of pandemic from happening again," he said.

Taiwan has been one of the few countries that has been successful in containing the spread of the novel coronavirus.&nbsp;"Taiwan is one of those countries that seems to be quite successful in dealing with the pandemic, and we want to share our experiences and our know-how in our way of dealing with the other countries," Dr. Wu said.

He also shed light on how Taiwan and India have joined hands and shared experiences with each other in this pandemic.&nbsp;"Our health sectors and our hospitals have some exchanges with some Indian institutions as well, and that proved to be very useful for those Indian institutions in learning our experience."

It has been nearly ten months since the pandemic took over the world. The novel coronavirus, numerous reports claim, was originated in China's Wuhan, and some even claim that the virus is Wuhan lab-made.

It has been nearly ten months since the pandemic took over the world. The novel coronavirus, numerous reports claim, was originated in China's Wuhan, and some even claim that the virus is Wuhan lab-made. Some reports also accuse China and the World Health Organization (WHO) of covering up the pandemic. However, these accusations have not been proved yet. Taiwan, however, believes that the virus did originate from China. In an exclusive interview with WION, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Taiwan, Joseph Wu, said: "To us, there's no doubt". Also read| China puts pressure on nations to not recognise Taiwan as a country: Foreign Minister Joseph Wu tells WION Dr Wu said that Taiwan reached out to the Chinese health authorities and the WHO in December 2019 when Taiwan's health experts saw some internet reports and videos of patients being treated in isolation which reflected that there was human transmission. "When we saw some internet discussions in China back in December last year, our health experts in our CDC had got nervous and therefore they sent an email to the World Health Organization and they also sent an email to the Chinese health authorities asking them what is going on." Taiwan claims that they are sure the virus originated from Wuhan and therefore they started taking precautions against the people coming from China. "We don't have any hesitation. We started checking the passengers coming back from Wuhan onboard. So, to us, there is no doubt that Wuhan is the origin of this pandemic throughout the world." Also read| China trying to export its authoritarianism to distract from domestic issues: Joseph Wu, Taiwan's Foreign Minister tells WION He also added that an investigation of where the pandemic is originated from should be conducted, and there should be "international cooperation to see how we can stop the pandemic from spreading." Is WHO guilty of a cover-up? When asked if he believes WHO helped China cover up the pandemic, he said, "At the beginning, the WHO did not seem to be identifying the coronavirus as a very serious threat to the international community and the consensus is that when the WHO started to get serious when it was too late." He also added that he hopes the WHO and all other international communities treat this as a learning lesson. "I think we need to pay attention to any transmittable diseases among human beings in a very serious way to prevent the next wave of pandemic from happening again," he said. Taiwan has been one of the few countries that has been successful in containing the spread of the novel coronavirus. "Taiwan is one of those countries that seems to be quite successful in dealing with the pandemic, and we want to share our experiences and our know-how in our way of dealing with the other countries," Dr. Wu said. He also shed light on how Taiwan and India have joined hands and shared experiences with each other in this pandemic. "Our health sectors and our hospitals have some exchanges with some Indian institutions as well, and that proved to be very useful for those Indian institutions in learning our experience."

EXCLUSIVE| We have no doubt COVID-19 originated in China: Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu

So far, the global scientific community has been unable to identify a natural origin of, or a logical evolutionary pathway for, the COVID-19 virus.

In contrast, the entire history of coronavirus research is punctuated by the ubiquitous use of genetic engineering to produce new viral combinations, which makes a laboratory origin a far more likely scenario.

In 2008, just five years after the first 2002-2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) pandemic, Dr. Ralph Baric of the University of North Carolina published an article entitled “Synthetic recombinant bat SARS-like coronavirus is infectious in cultured cells and in mice,” in which he described the creation in the laboratory of an entirely new virus capable of producing a human SARS-like infection:

“Here, we report the design, synthesis, and recovery of the largest synthetic replicating life form, a 29.7-kb bat severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-like coronavirus (Bat-SCoV), a likely progenitor to the SARS-CoV epidemic.”

In that study, Baric demonstrated that his new synthetic virus was capable of infecting human lung cells to a similar extent as the first human SARS pandemic virus because he had genetically spliced the receptor binding domain (RBD) from the SARS virus onto his new artificial virus.

It is important to note that Dr Baric has been a long-time research collaborator with Zheng-Li Shi, the “bat woman” from the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

Similar to the 2008 study described above, Baric and Zheng-Li Shi jointly published a 2015 scientific article describing the insertion of the RBD from a newly isolated coronavirus (SHC014) into SARS-CoV-1, the coronavirus responsible for the 2002-2003 pandemic.

Baric and Zheng-Li Shi combined the components of two coronaviruses and produced another novel virus, SHC014-MA15, which showed “robust viral replication both in vitro [cell cultures] and in vivo [animals],” using models adapted to test for human infectivity.

Other genetic engineering techniques, such as the insertion of a furin polybasic basic cleavage site, which is found in the COVID-19 virus and in no other close natural relative, as well as individual artificial “point” mutations, have been widely used in coronavirus research.

Since the initial 2002-2003 SARS pandemic, which also originated in China, there have been attempts to create a broad-spectrum vaccine that would provide long-lasting protection against a variety of coronaviruses that might emerge from nature and infect humans.

One such approach has been the development of live-attenuated vaccines like those used for the childhood diseases measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox, in which a weakened or “attenuated” form of the virus that causes the disease is manufactured.

Because live-attenuated vaccines are so similar to the natural infection that they help prevent, a strong and long-lasting, even life-time immune response can be produced.

In a 2018 scientific article, Dr Baric offered a strategy for the development of a broad-spectrum, live-attenuated vaccine for coronaviruses.

Baric also identified the inherent danger of live-attenuated virus vaccines that they have been shown to revert back to their original pathogenic structure after administration to a recipient.

That risk is exponentially increased for “self-spreading” vaccines, which are essentially genetically engineered live-attenuated vaccines designed to move through populations in the same way as viruses, but rather than causing disease, conferring protection.

In my two previous articles, here and here, I cited evidence supporting the argument that the COVID-19 virus originated in connection with China’s vaccine development program, in which a live-attenuated virus may have reverted to its deadly form after a human infection and then leaked from laboratory containment.

Given the mounting evidence, a non-natural origin for the COVID-19 pandemic demands investigation.

So far, the global scientific community has been unable to identify a natural origin of, or a logical evolutionary pathway for, the COVID-19 virus. In contrast, the entire history of coronavirus research is punctuated by the ubiquitous use of genetic engineering to produce new viral combinations, which makes a laboratory origin a far more likely scenario.

So far, the global scientific community has been unable to identify a natural origin of, or a logical evolutionary pathway for, the COVID-19 virus. In contrast, the entire history of coronavirus research is punctuated by the ubiquitous use of genetic engineering to produce new viral combinations, which makes a laboratory origin a far more likely scenario. In 2008, just five years after the first 2002-2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) pandemic, Dr. Ralph Baric of the University of North Carolina published an article entitled “Synthetic recombinant bat SARS-like coronavirus is infectious in cultured cells and in mice,” in which he described the creation in the laboratory of an entirely new virus capable of producing a human SARS-like infection: “Here, we report the design, synthesis, and recovery of the largest synthetic replicating life form, a 29.7-kb bat severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-like coronavirus (Bat-SCoV), a likely progenitor to the SARS-CoV epidemic.” In that study, Baric demonstrated that his new synthetic virus was capable of infecting human lung cells to a similar extent as the first human SARS pandemic virus because he had genetically spliced the receptor binding domain (RBD) from the SARS virus onto his new artificial virus. It is important to note that Dr Baric has been a long-time research collaborator with Zheng-Li Shi, the “bat woman” from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Similar to the 2008 study described above, Baric and Zheng-Li Shi jointly published a 2015 scientific article describing the insertion of the RBD from a newly isolated coronavirus (SHC014) into SARS-CoV-1, the coronavirus responsible for the 2002-2003 pandemic. Baric and Zheng-Li Shi combined the components of two coronaviruses and produced another novel virus, SHC014-MA15, which showed “robust viral replication both in vitro [cell cultures] and in vivo [animals],” using models adapted to test for human infectivity. Other genetic engineering techniques, such as the insertion of a furin polybasic basic cleavage site, which is found in the COVID-19 virus and in no other close natural relative, as well as individual artificial “point” mutations, have been widely used in coronavirus research. Since the initial 2002-2003 SARS pandemic, which also originated in China, there have been attempts to create a broad-spectrum vaccine that would provide long-lasting protection against a variety of coronaviruses that might emerge from nature and infect humans. One such approach has been the development of live-attenuated vaccines like those used for the childhood diseases measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox, in which a weakened or “attenuated” form of the virus that causes the disease is manufactured. Because live-attenuated vaccines are so similar to the natural infection that they help prevent, a strong and long-lasting, even life-time immune response can be produced. In a 2018 scientific article, Dr Baric offered a strategy for the development of a broad-spectrum, live-attenuated vaccine for coronaviruses. Baric also identified the inherent danger of live-attenuated virus vaccines that they have been shown to revert back to their original pathogenic structure after administration to a recipient. That risk is exponentially increased for “self-spreading” vaccines, which are essentially genetically engineered live-attenuated vaccines designed to move through populations in the same way as viruses, but rather than causing disease, conferring protection. In my two previous articles, here and here, I cited evidence supporting the argument that the COVID-19 virus originated in connection with China’s vaccine development program, in which a live-attenuated virus may have reverted to its deadly form after a human infection and then leaked from laboratory containment. Given the mounting evidence, a non-natural origin for the COVID-19 pandemic demands investigation.

Don’t tell me the COVID-19 virus could not have been manufactured by China

There may be some culpability involved, but the huge resistance being mounted by the international scientific elite, the media and vested financial interests against conducting an objective analysis of the origin of the COVID-19 virus is primarily about money.

If it would be determined that the COVID-19 pandemic resulted from a laboratory leak of a genetically engineered virus, it would not only disrupt the flow of huge sums of research funding, but adversely affect the investments of those vehemently opposed to President Donald Trump’s efforts to make the U.S. economy less dependent on China and, therefore, make the U.S. less vulnerable to Chinese geopolitical blackmail.

There is growing scientific evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic may have resulted from a vaccine development project gone wrong.

Live-attenuated vaccines are a type of vaccine used for smallpox and childhood diseases like measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox, in which a weakened or “attenuated” form of the virus that causes the disease is manufactured.

Because such vaccines are so similar to the natural infection that they help prevent, they create a strong and long-lasting, even lifetime immune response.

Live-attenuated virus vaccines must possess certain characteristics to be safe and effective.

They must have lower virulence and replication capability than the natural pathogenic form of the virus, but be able to induce a pronounced immune response.

Of additional importance is that the live-attenuated virus vaccines should clear quickly from the body and not revert or mutate back to the natural pathogenic form.

To fulfill those characteristics, certain modifications providing protection strategies, or “circuit breakers,” must be engineered into the viral genome, which are also potential markers of artificial manipulation.

An ad hoc group of scientific investigators known as DRASTIC have compiled a 36-point list to buttress their claim that the COVID-19 virus could have originated in a vaccine development program.

For example, a central mechanism for controlling immune responses is mediated by interferons. The COVID-19 virus seems to have some signatures in its genome which indicate interferon hypersensitivity compared to the coronavirus responsible for the 2002-2003 pandemic.

Another indication that the COVID-19 virus may have been the product of an attempt to produce a live-attenuated virus vaccine is the accumulation of “synonymous mutations” in the spike protein compared to RaTG13, which the global scientific elite claim is the nearest bat coronavirus relative.

The artificial accumulation of synonymous mutations has been described as one method of producing live-attenuated virus vaccines by “deoptimizing” the genetic code and inhibiting replication.

The most striking indication of genetic manipulation of the COVID-19 virus is the presence of the furin polybasic cleavage site, which does not exist in any closely-related bat coronavirus yet identified.

Given its role in the virus-cell or cell-cell membrane fusion process, the DRASTIC team suggests that the insertion of the furin polybasic cleavage site may have been related to a high-risk attempt to produce an intranasal “self-spreading” vaccine spray.

“Self-spreading vaccines are essentially genetically engineered viruses designed to move through populations in the same way as infectious diseases, but rather than causing disease, they confer protection.”

Obviously, much could go wrong using such an approach.

To avoid the scientific equivalent of the Russia collusion hoax, the Trump Administration should not rely on the international scientific elite, the media and vested financial interests to shape the debate, but should appoint an independent and objective task force to determine the true origin of the COVID-19 virus.

Given the power of genetic engineering and the enormous danger when it is recklessly applied, the stakes are just too high not to address this issue honestly and directly. 
 
(Lawrence Sellin, Ph.D. is a retired U.S. Army Reserve colonel, who previously worked at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases and conducted basic and clinical research in the pharmaceutical industry. is email address is lawrence.sellin@gmail.com)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

There may be some culpability involved, but the huge resistance being mounted by the international scientific elite, the media and vested financial interests against conducting an objective analysis of the origin of the COVID-19 virus is primarily about money.

There may be some culpability involved, but the huge resistance being mounted by the international scientific elite, the media and vested financial interests against conducting an objective analysis of the origin of the COVID-19 virus is primarily about money. If it would be determined that the COVID-19 pandemic resulted from a laboratory leak of a genetically engineered virus, it would not only disrupt the flow of huge sums of research funding, but adversely affect the investments of those vehemently opposed to President Donald Trump’s efforts to make the U.S. economy less dependent on China and, therefore, make the U.S. less vulnerable to Chinese geopolitical blackmail. There is growing scientific evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic may have resulted from a vaccine development project gone wrong. Live-attenuated vaccines are a type of vaccine used for smallpox and childhood diseases like measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox, in which a weakened or “attenuated” form of the virus that causes the disease is manufactured. Because such vaccines are so similar to the natural infection that they help prevent, they create a strong and long-lasting, even lifetime immune response. Live-attenuated virus vaccines must possess certain characteristics to be safe and effective. They must have lower virulence and replication capability than the natural pathogenic form of the virus, but be able to induce a pronounced immune response. Of additional importance is that the live-attenuated virus vaccines should clear quickly from the body and not revert or mutate back to the natural pathogenic form. To fulfill those characteristics, certain modifications providing protection strategies, or “circuit breakers,” must be engineered into the viral genome, which are also potential markers of artificial manipulation. An ad hoc group of scientific investigators known as DRASTIC have compiled a 36-point list to buttress their claim that the COVID-19 virus could have originated in a vaccine development program. For example, a central mechanism for controlling immune responses is mediated by interferons. The COVID-19 virus seems to have some signatures in its genome which indicate interferon hypersensitivity compared to the coronavirus responsible for the 2002-2003 pandemic. Another indication that the COVID-19 virus may have been the product of an attempt to produce a live-attenuated virus vaccine is the accumulation of “synonymous mutations” in the spike protein compared to RaTG13, which the global scientific elite claim is the nearest bat coronavirus relative. The artificial accumulation of synonymous mutations has been described as one method of producing live-attenuated virus vaccines by “deoptimizing” the genetic code and inhibiting replication. The most striking indication of genetic manipulation of the COVID-19 virus is the presence of the furin polybasic cleavage site, which does not exist in any closely-related bat coronavirus yet identified. Given its role in the virus-cell or cell-cell membrane fusion process, the DRASTIC team suggests that the insertion of the furin polybasic cleavage site may have been related to a high-risk attempt to produce an intranasal “self-spreading” vaccine spray. “Self-spreading vaccines are essentially genetically engineered viruses designed to move through populations in the same way as infectious diseases, but rather than causing disease, they confer protection.” Obviously, much could go wrong using such an approach. To avoid the scientific equivalent of the Russia collusion hoax, the Trump Administration should not rely on the international scientific elite, the media and vested financial interests to shape the debate, but should appoint an independent and objective task force to determine the true origin of the COVID-19 virus. Given the power of genetic engineering and the enormous danger when it is recklessly applied, the stakes are just too high not to address this issue honestly and directly. (Lawrence Sellin, Ph.D. is a retired U.S. Army Reserve colonel, who previously worked at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases and conducted basic and clinical research in the pharmaceutical industry. is email address is lawrence.sellin@gmail.com) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Are the global scientific elite trying to bury the truth about the origin of Covid-19?

In an exclusive conversation with WION, Dr Li-Meng Yan, who recently broke the internet by claiming that COVID-19 was manufactured in a lab, said that on the course of her research, she was told not to talk about her discoveries.

When asked whether the Chinese government knew what was going on, and whether President Xi was involved in the cover-up, and hiding the number of cases in Wuhan, the doctor said “Yes, and also people who knew the situation, were told to be silent”.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/wion-exclusive-chinese-virologist-beijing-tried-to-cover-up-wuhan-virus-and-who-is-very-much-part-of-it-chinese-virologist-dr-li-meng-yan-329467" hreflang="en">WION exclusive | Beijing tried to cover-up Wuhan virus and WHO is very much part of it: Chinese virologist Dr Li-Meng Yan</a>

“Because, even from December 31, I tried to reach to the doctors in Wuhan, and they are [sic] scared”. They were told, “Don’t talk about it, and simply wear a mask”.

In mid-January, my supervisor told me “Be careful while you do the investigation. Don’t cross the red line. If not, I will be in trouble, and I will be disappeared [sic]”, the virologist added.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WuhanWhistleblowerOnWION?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WuhanWhistleblowerOnWION</a> | Chinese virologist Li-Meng Yan speaks to WION's <a href="https://twitter.com/palkisu?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@palkisu</a> <a href="https://t.co/99KKjbJnBv">https://t.co/99KKjbJnBv</a>
— WION (@WIONews) <a href="https://twitter.com/WIONews/status/1308398710565597184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Dr Li-Meng Yan told WION that she was muzzled by her supervisor for speaking out, and that China turned social media against her. Recently, her Twitter account was suspended.

On being asked whether she thought Chinese government could influence studies and research on COVID-19, the doctor said “Of course”.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinese-virologist-wion-exclusive-chinese-communist-partys-money-and-power-influence-whole-world-says-virologist-dr-li-meng-yan-329489" hreflang="en">WION Exclusive | 'Chinese Communist Party's money and power influence whole world', says virologist Dr Li-Meng Yan</a>

“I had been there for many years… I knew many many people across a vast network - hospitals, institutes”, she said. “I worked in Hong Kong for many years”, she added.

“All my experience and knowledge can tell you - Chinese Communist Party’s money and power influence the whole world, far more beyond your imagination”, she added.

“This virus come from a lab on purpose”, Yan added.

Earlier on September 14, Chinese virologist Dr Li-Meng Yan had claimed that COVID-19 was made in a Wuhan laboratory. Yan, who was associated with the Hong Kong School of Public Health, had been researching on the coronavirus for a long time. The Chinese virologist claimed that during her research she came across that coronavirus was developed in a laboratory in China.

In an exclusive conversation with WION, Dr Li-Meng Yan, who recently broke the internet by claiming that COVID-19 was manufactured in a lab, said that on the course of her research, she was told not to talk about her discoveries.

In an exclusive conversation with WION, Dr Li-Meng Yan, who recently broke the internet by claiming that COVID-19 was manufactured in a lab, said that on the course of her research, she was told not to talk about her discoveries. When asked whether the Chinese government knew what was going on, and whether President Xi was involved in the cover-up, and hiding the number of cases in Wuhan, the doctor said “Yes, and also people who knew the situation, were told to be silent”. Also read: WION exclusive | Beijing tried to cover-up Wuhan virus and WHO is very much part of it: Chinese virologist Dr Li-Meng Yan “Because, even from December 31, I tried to reach to the doctors in Wuhan, and they are [sic] scared”. They were told, “Don’t talk about it, and simply wear a mask”. In mid-January, my supervisor told me “Be careful while you do the investigation. Don’t cross the red line. If not, I will be in trouble, and I will be disappeared [sic]”, the virologist added. #WuhanWhistleblowerOnWION | Chinese virologist Li-Meng Yan speaks to WION's @palkisu https://t.co/99KKjbJnBv — WION (@WIONews) September 22, 2020 × Dr Li-Meng Yan told WION that she was muzzled by her supervisor for speaking out, and that China turned social media against her. Recently, her Twitter account was suspended. On being asked whether she thought Chinese government could influence studies and research on COVID-19, the doctor said “Of course”. Also read: WION Exclusive | 'Chinese Communist Party's money and power influence whole world', says virologist Dr Li-Meng Yan “I had been there for many years… I knew many many people across a vast network - hospitals, institutes”, she said. “I worked in Hong Kong for many years”, she added. “All my experience and knowledge can tell you - Chinese Communist Party’s money and power influence the whole world, far more beyond your imagination”, she added. “This virus come from a lab on purpose”, Yan added. Earlier on September 14, Chinese virologist Dr Li-Meng Yan had claimed that COVID-19 was made in a Wuhan laboratory. Yan, who was associated with the Hong Kong School of Public Health, had been researching on the coronavirus for a long time. The Chinese virologist claimed that during her research she came across that coronavirus was developed in a laboratory in China.

WION exclusive | Chinese virologist who claimed COVID-19 is lab-made suggests Wuhan doctors were forced into silence

Back in February, when few Americans were aware of a distant and oddly named phenomenon called coronavirus, two Chinese filmmakers strapped on hazmat suits and embedded themselves in Wuhan's overrun hospitals.

There, they captured harrowing footage of terrified citizens hammering on hospital doors, medics collapsing from exhaustion, and relatives begging in vain to say goodbye to infected loved ones.

Now, those images have been edited together by New York-based director Hao Wu ("People's Republic of Desire").

Premiering at the Toronto film festival Monday, '76 Days'&nbsp;-- named for the duration of the central Chinese city's draconian lockdown -- is the first major documentary from the disease's original epicenter to hit theaters. Shot in a claustrophobic, cinema verite style -- without voice-over or direct-to-camera interviews -- the film relies on the intimacy of the footage of doctors and patients grappling with a terrifying new reality.

Wu first contacted the two filmmakers, one of whom is anonymous for his own safety, after witnessing China's early lockdown first-hand during a family visit for Chinese New Year.

The footage they sent him revealed how, in the chaos of the disease's early weeks, they were able to get remarkable access -- but at considerable personal risk and suffering.

"It was a horrible, horrible shooting experience for them," Wu told AFP. "They were fainting, it was really warm. A few times [filmmaker Weixi Chen] wanted to throw up inside [his] goggles, but he couldn't because once you throw up, once you remove your PPE, you have to get out, you could not come back again."

"It was like shooting in a war zone," he added.&nbsp; Wu also had a personal motivation for pursuing the project. His grandfather died from cancer soon after the outbreak, unable to find a hospital bed as resources strained under the weight of Covid-19.

"In the beginning I was angry with the Chinese government -- I really wanted to find out who's at fault, what caused this," said Wu.

But once the pandemic spread -- with exponentially greater tragedy -- to other countries like the US, the desire to place blame was replaced by a desire to document how "as human beings live through this, how we can share this experience."&nbsp;

Ironically, despite Beijing's tight controls on information, access was in some ways easier in China. Privacy and litigation concerns proved far more of a barrier to filming in New York hospitals, Wu found.

Wuhan hospitals desperately lacking personal protective equipment initially welcomed coverage that could boost donations and volunteers, he added. 
The film eschews politics and blame to focus on personal stories of tragedy and bravery, hope and despair, which repeated around the world after emerging in China.

Medics tenderly hold the hands of patients locked away from their families, and are distinguishable to viewers only by the colorful doodles they scrawl upon each other's head-to-toe hazmat suits.

But it remains unclear whether the movie will ever be seen in China, where news about the pandemic has been tightly controlled since day one -- leading to many in the West, including US President Donald Trump, accusing Beijing of a vast cover-up.

"I would love to show it in China, because I feel that for the entire country with Covid, it has been such a scar on the nation's psyche," said Wu, who hopes it could help his ancestral home to mourn its losses.

"Obviously right now most Chinese feel proud the country has been able to control it. But it is a trauma."

Back in February, when few Americans were aware of a distant and oddly named phenomenon called coronavirus, two Chinese filmmakers strapped on hazmat suits and embedded themselves in Wuhan's overrun hospitals.

Back in February, when few Americans were aware of a distant and oddly named phenomenon called coronavirus, two Chinese filmmakers strapped on hazmat suits and embedded themselves in Wuhan's overrun hospitals. There, they captured harrowing footage of terrified citizens hammering on hospital doors, medics collapsing from exhaustion, and relatives begging in vain to say goodbye to infected loved ones. Now, those images have been edited together by New York-based director Hao Wu ("People's Republic of Desire"). Premiering at the Toronto film festival Monday, '76 Days' -- named for the duration of the central Chinese city's draconian lockdown -- is the first major documentary from the disease's original epicenter to hit theaters. Shot in a claustrophobic, cinema verite style -- without voice-over or direct-to-camera interviews -- the film relies on the intimacy of the footage of doctors and patients grappling with a terrifying new reality. Wu first contacted the two filmmakers, one of whom is anonymous for his own safety, after witnessing China's early lockdown first-hand during a family visit for Chinese New Year. The footage they sent him revealed how, in the chaos of the disease's early weeks, they were able to get remarkable access -- but at considerable personal risk and suffering. "It was a horrible, horrible shooting experience for them," Wu told AFP. "They were fainting, it was really warm. A few times [filmmaker Weixi Chen] wanted to throw up inside [his] goggles, but he couldn't because once you throw up, once you remove your PPE, you have to get out, you could not come back again." "It was like shooting in a war zone," he added. Wu also had a personal motivation for pursuing the project. His grandfather died from cancer soon after the outbreak, unable to find a hospital bed as resources strained under the weight of Covid-19. "In the beginning I was angry with the Chinese government -- I really wanted to find out who's at fault, what caused this," said Wu. But once the pandemic spread -- with exponentially greater tragedy -- to other countries like the US, the desire to place blame was replaced by a desire to document how "as human beings live through this, how we can share this experience." Ironically, despite Beijing's tight controls on information, access was in some ways easier in China. Privacy and litigation concerns proved far more of a barrier to filming in New York hospitals, Wu found. Wuhan hospitals desperately lacking personal protective equipment initially welcomed coverage that could boost donations and volunteers, he added. The film eschews politics and blame to focus on personal stories of tragedy and bravery, hope and despair, which repeated around the world after emerging in China. Medics tenderly hold the hands of patients locked away from their families, and are distinguishable to viewers only by the colorful doodles they scrawl upon each other's head-to-toe hazmat suits. But it remains unclear whether the movie will ever be seen in China, where news about the pandemic has been tightly controlled since day one -- leading to many in the West, including US President Donald Trump, accusing Beijing of a vast cover-up. "I would love to show it in China, because I feel that for the entire country with Covid, it has been such a scar on the nation's psyche," said Wu, who hopes it could help his ancestral home to mourn its losses. "Obviously right now most Chinese feel proud the country has been able to control it. But it is a trauma."

Wuhan film '76 Days' captures horror and humanity at coronavirus ground zero 5

China is recasting Wuhan as a heroic coronavirus victim and trying to throw doubt on the pandemic's origin story as it aims to seize the narrative at a time of growing global distrust of Beijing.

The PR blitz plays out daily in comments by Chinese officials and lavish state media coverage of a "reborn" Wuhan that trumpets China's epidemic-control efforts and economic recovery while the United States struggles.

The drive peaked in the past week as Chinese primary schools welcomed back students with considerable fanfare and Wuhan hosted executives from dozens of multinationals, from Panasonic to Dow and Nokia, on a highly choreographed tour of the central Chinese city.

"There are few places in the world today where you don't need a mask and can gather," a Chinese official, Lin Songtian, told the executives, implying that Wuhan was one of those places.

"This testifies to Wuhan's triumph over the virus and that (the city) is back in business."

Lost in this retelling, however, is that a wet market in Wuhan is widely believed to be ground zero for the pandemic.

China's foreign minister suggested on August 28 during a European outreach trip that the virus might not have emerged in China.

The drive indicates China recognises Covid-19's damage to its brand and wants to leverage its relatively successful recovery to counter growing international challenges, analysts said.

China faces foreign bitterness over the virus and an initial cover-up attempt by Wuhan officials, plus criticism of Beijing's tightening grip on Hong Kong and generally more aggressive international posture.

"Beijing wants the narrative to be: we handled it, we can help you handle it and (hopefully) we're the first to have a vaccine that works," said Kelsey Broderick, Asia analyst with Eurasia Group.

"That's really the only way China can come out ahead of the idea that a wet market in Wuhan started this crisis."

'ABSOLUTELY SAFE'

The fumbling US pandemic response provides a clear opening, said Yun Jiang, director of Australian National University's China Policy Centre.

"The fact that the US is not only not doing enough, but actually doing things that go against American interests, is a big help to China," she said.

The three-day Wuhan tour also included foreign media outlets and ended Saturday.

It featured primary-school students performing traditional Chinese opera and ballet, a renovated food market presented as a model of sanitation, and a Yangtze riverfront cruise underneath a skyline ablaze with towering light displays referencing the virus recovery.

The city of 11 million -- which suffered more than 80 percent of China's 4,634 Covid-19 deaths -- has come a long way since the pandemic's grim early days, when a suffocating weeks-long lockdown rendered it a ghost town.

No new local transmissions have been reported in months, traffic jams are back, shoppers cram malls, and al fresco diners gobble up the city's signature spicy crayfish dish.

Face masks sag from the neck or are abandoned altogether.

The growing confidence was displayed at a Wuhan pool party attended by thousands of mask-less people last month that prompted overseas accusations of recklessness after images of the event went viral.

China countered that the party indicated the nation's success in taming the coronavirus.

"What risks can there be?" asked Wuhan factory worker Xie Ailiang while speaking to AFP.

"I think now Wuhan should be absolutely safe."

'WINTER IS COMING'

But not everyone is taking a victory lap.

Many Wuhan citizens express persistent concern over an uneven recovery and fear of new outbreaks.

"The economy has really declined. The benefit of even coming to work is questionable," said Yi Xinhua, 51, who sells tofu from her stall at a Wuhan wet market.

Blocks of tofu were neatly arranged by shape and size, but there few buyers -- Yi says her sales are only half of the pre-pandemic level.

It's a common complaint in Wuhan, blamed by many business owners on lingering fear of going out in public and the widely expressed belief that millions who fled the city early in the pandemic have still not returned.

Wuhan employers complain online that the exodus has also reduced the local labour pool.

And memories of a subsequent virus cluster in May, which triggered a citywide effort to test millions, remain fresh.

"Everyone is afraid the epidemic will return, you know? The summer is over, and winter is coming," said Yi.

"We've recovered a bit. But if the virus comes back, we'll be hit again."

China is recasting Wuhan as a heroic coronavirus victim and trying to throw doubt on the pandemic's origin story as it aims to seize the narrative at a time of growing global distrust of Beijing.

China is recasting Wuhan as a heroic coronavirus victim and trying to throw doubt on the pandemic's origin story as it aims to seize the narrative at a time of growing global distrust of Beijing. The PR blitz plays out daily in comments by Chinese officials and lavish state media coverage of a "reborn" Wuhan that trumpets China's epidemic-control efforts and economic recovery while the United States struggles. The drive peaked in the past week as Chinese primary schools welcomed back students with considerable fanfare and Wuhan hosted executives from dozens of multinationals, from Panasonic to Dow and Nokia, on a highly choreographed tour of the central Chinese city. "There are few places in the world today where you don't need a mask and can gather," a Chinese official, Lin Songtian, told the executives, implying that Wuhan was one of those places. "This testifies to Wuhan's triumph over the virus and that (the city) is back in business." Lost in this retelling, however, is that a wet market in Wuhan is widely believed to be ground zero for the pandemic. China's foreign minister suggested on August 28 during a European outreach trip that the virus might not have emerged in China. The drive indicates China recognises Covid-19's damage to its brand and wants to leverage its relatively successful recovery to counter growing international challenges, analysts said. China faces foreign bitterness over the virus and an initial cover-up attempt by Wuhan officials, plus criticism of Beijing's tightening grip on Hong Kong and generally more aggressive international posture. "Beijing wants the narrative to be: we handled it, we can help you handle it and (hopefully) we're the first to have a vaccine that works," said Kelsey Broderick, Asia analyst with Eurasia Group. "That's really the only way China can come out ahead of the idea that a wet market in Wuhan started this crisis." 'ABSOLUTELY SAFE' The fumbling US pandemic response provides a clear opening, said Yun Jiang, director of Australian National University's China Policy Centre. "The fact that the US is not only not doing enough, but actually doing things that go against American interests, is a big help to China," she said. The three-day Wuhan tour also included foreign media outlets and ended Saturday. It featured primary-school students performing traditional Chinese opera and ballet, a renovated food market presented as a model of sanitation, and a Yangtze riverfront cruise underneath a skyline ablaze with towering light displays referencing the virus recovery. The city of 11 million -- which suffered more than 80 percent of China's 4,634 Covid-19 deaths -- has come a long way since the pandemic's grim early days, when a suffocating weeks-long lockdown rendered it a ghost town. No new local transmissions have been reported in months, traffic jams are back, shoppers cram malls, and al fresco diners gobble up the city's signature spicy crayfish dish. Face masks sag from the neck or are abandoned altogether. The growing confidence was displayed at a Wuhan pool party attended by thousands of mask-less people last month that prompted overseas accusations of recklessness after images of the event went viral. China countered that the party indicated the nation's success in taming the coronavirus. "What risks can there be?" asked Wuhan factory worker Xie Ailiang while speaking to AFP. "I think now Wuhan should be absolutely safe." 'WINTER IS COMING' But not everyone is taking a victory lap. Many Wuhan citizens express persistent concern over an uneven recovery and fear of new outbreaks. "The economy has really declined. The benefit of even coming to work is questionable," said Yi Xinhua, 51, who sells tofu from her stall at a Wuhan wet market. Blocks of tofu were neatly arranged by shape and size, but there few buyers -- Yi says her sales are only half of the pre-pandemic level. It's a common complaint in Wuhan, blamed by many business owners on lingering fear of going out in public and the widely expressed belief that millions who fled the city early in the pandemic have still not returned. Wuhan employers complain online that the exodus has also reduced the local labour pool. And memories of a subsequent virus cluster in May, which triggered a citywide effort to test millions, remain fresh. "Everyone is afraid the epidemic will return, you know? The summer is over, and winter is coming," said Yi. "We've recovered a bit. But if the virus comes back, we'll be hit again."

China tries to flip the pandemic script, starring a 'reborn' Wuhan

A woman is suing the government in Wuhan for the death of her father and for not divulging enough information about the coronavirus pandemic when it hit the city.

Zhao Lei, in conversation with Sky News, said that she is looking for compensation as well as a public apology. "I think the government covered up some facts," Zhao, told Sky News. She also suggested how this cover up led people of Wuhan to go on as if nothing had changed.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/wuhan-food-markets-are-selling-wild-animals-again-324272" hreflang="en">Wuhan food markets are selling wild animals, again</a>

"Because of this, Wuhan people carried on living like before, they celebrated Chinese New Year normally, without taking any protection. It meant my father got infected and died”, she said.

Lei’s father had got infected with coronavirus in the end of January. Owing to the pressure on health services, no ambulance was available to take him to the hospital. In fact, he walked for six miles before a local vehicle took them.

However, Lei’s father passed away due to respiratory failure while waiting for treatment in the emergency room.

Related video:&nbsp;90% of recovered COVID-19 patients in Wuhan suffering from lung damage

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="http://wionews.com/videos/90-of-recovered-covid-19-patients-in-wuhan-suffering-from-lung-damage-318568/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Lei shed light on what she thinks went down in Wuhan when the pandemic hit. "I think the government covered up the fact that coronavirus&nbsp;could spread from people to people. I hold the government accountable and ask them to pay the due price."

Zhao Lei’s application has been rejected by the municipal court, and her mother has been warned about repercussions if the case isn’t dropped.

Reports suggest that many journalists who were reporting from Wuhan have also been detained, and many still remain in custody.

Upward and onward

Zhao Lei is now taking her case to the Supreme Court of Hubei, the parent province of Wuhan.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/wuhan-officials-kept-china-in-the-dark-for-weeks-about-coronavirus-us-intel-says-322286" hreflang="en">Wuhan officials kept China in the dark for weeks about coronavirus, US intel says</a>

"What I did is legal, what I said is fact. I didn't lie. I didn't make up rumours. I think my lawsuit is good for our country. It can warn people that if we have a disaster next time, we could do something to prevent bad outcomes. We can save more people," she said.

Lei too contracted the virus and hopes to get justice for her father’s death, and vowed not to give up.

Wuhan emerged as the first major epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic, where it is said to have infected people from a wet market, where exotic animals are sold for consumption. Currently, the city has recovered and it in the process of reopening. Meanwhile, cases continue to rise around the world. The United States, Brazil, and India are the hardest-hit countries at the moment.

Globally, 25.3 million cases of COVID-19 have been registered. Out of these 16.7 million have recovered, while 848,000 have succumbed to the virus. The US alone has 6.12 million cases of the virus, with Brazil at second with 3.91 million cases, and India with 3.69 million cases.

A woman is suing the government in Wuhan for the death of her father and for not divulging enough information about the coronavirus pandemic when it hit the city.

A woman is suing the government in Wuhan for the death of her father and for not divulging enough information about the coronavirus pandemic when it hit the city. Zhao Lei, in conversation with Sky News, said that she is looking for compensation as well as a public apology. "I think the government covered up some facts," Zhao, told Sky News. She also suggested how this cover up led people of Wuhan to go on as if nothing had changed. Also read: Wuhan food markets are selling wild animals, again "Because of this, Wuhan people carried on living like before, they celebrated Chinese New Year normally, without taking any protection. It meant my father got infected and died”, she said. Lei’s father had got infected with coronavirus in the end of January. Owing to the pressure on health services, no ambulance was available to take him to the hospital. In fact, he walked for six miles before a local vehicle took them. However, Lei’s father passed away due to respiratory failure while waiting for treatment in the emergency room. Related video: 90% of recovered COVID-19 patients in Wuhan suffering from lung damage Lei shed light on what she thinks went down in Wuhan when the pandemic hit. "I think the government covered up the fact that coronavirus could spread from people to people. I hold the government accountable and ask them to pay the due price." Zhao Lei’s application has been rejected by the municipal court, and her mother has been warned about repercussions if the case isn’t dropped. Reports suggest that many journalists who were reporting from Wuhan have also been detained, and many still remain in custody. Upward and onward Zhao Lei is now taking her case to the Supreme Court of Hubei, the parent province of Wuhan. Also read: Wuhan officials kept China in the dark for weeks about coronavirus, US intel says "What I did is legal, what I said is fact. I didn't lie. I didn't make up rumours. I think my lawsuit is good for our country. It can warn people that if we have a disaster next time, we could do something to prevent bad outcomes. We can save more people," she said. Lei too contracted the virus and hopes to get justice for her father’s death, and vowed not to give up. Wuhan emerged as the first major epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic, where it is said to have infected people from a wet market, where exotic animals are sold for consumption. Currently, the city has recovered and it in the process of reopening. Meanwhile, cases continue to rise around the world. The United States, Brazil, and India are the hardest-hit countries at the moment. Globally, 25.3 million cases of COVID-19 have been registered. Out of these 16.7 million have recovered, while 848,000 have succumbed to the virus. The US alone has 6.12 million cases of the virus, with Brazil at second with 3.91 million cases, and India with 3.69 million cases.

A woman from Wuhan is suing China for her father's death due to COVID-19

The ‘wet markets’ on the mainland have been slammed internationally as the coronavirus roils the world, with the disease having seemingly emerged from stalls selling live game in Wuhan late last year. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/beijings-second-coronavirus-wave-puts-wet-markets-back-in-focus-306902">Also read: Beijing's second coronavirus wave puts wet markets back in focus</a>

The government has since banned the sale of wildlife for food, but the reopening of markets has drawn criticism from around the world as the death toll from the pandemic continues to mount.

According to a report published by US-based idahoreporter.com, in Wuhan Tiansheng Street Vegetable Market and Changchun Road Vegetable Market, many merchants are selling wild frogs.Capturing, selling, and eating wild frogs violates many Chinese laws and regulations. The “Wild Animal Protection Law” stipulates that “terrestrial wild animals with important economic and scientific value” should be protected, and frogs are one of them.

Scientists and Chinese officials believe the deadly illness jumped to humans from wild animals, most likely via an intermediary species like bats. Close contact with wild animals at the Wuhan wet market has been widely blamed for the outbreak.

Meanwhile, the coronavirus pandemic, set to enter its 10th month, has till now infected over 25.1 million people around the globe. Twenty million cases were added in about three weeks. The virus has killed at least 842,633​people till now. Over 16 lakh people have recovered after testing positive. 
&nbsp; 
(With inputs from agencies)

The ‘wet markets’ on the mainland have been slammed internationally as the coronavirus roils the world, with the disease having seemingly emerged from stalls selling live game in Wuhan late last year.

The ‘wet markets’ on the mainland have been slammed internationally as the coronavirus roils the world, with the disease having seemingly emerged from stalls selling live game in Wuhan late last year. Also read: Beijing's second coronavirus wave puts wet markets back in focus The government has since banned the sale of wildlife for food, but the reopening of markets has drawn criticism from around the world as the death toll from the pandemic continues to mount. According to a report published by US-based idahoreporter.com, in Wuhan Tiansheng Street Vegetable Market and Changchun Road Vegetable Market, many merchants are selling wild frogs.Capturing, selling, and eating wild frogs violates many Chinese laws and regulations. The “Wild Animal Protection Law” stipulates that “terrestrial wild animals with important economic and scientific value” should be protected, and frogs are one of them. Scientists and Chinese officials believe the deadly illness jumped to humans from wild animals, most likely via an intermediary species like bats. Close contact with wild animals at the Wuhan wet market has been widely blamed for the outbreak. Meanwhile, the coronavirus pandemic, set to enter its 10th month, has till now infected over 25.1 million people around the globe. Twenty million cases were added in about three weeks. The virus has killed at least 842,633people till now. Over 16 lakh people have recovered after testing positive. (With inputs from agencies)

Wuhan food markets are selling wild animals, again

As number of Covid-19 cases continue to surge, the virus epicentre has shifted to India even as cases topped 6 million and 7 million in the United States and the Latin American region respectively. 
 
As many as 25,377,704 people around the world have been diagnosed with Covid-19. While more than 17,700,781 have recovered, 850,149 have died so far. The US, the worst-hit country, has 6,173,229. cases. It is followed by Brazil, which has 3,862,311.

Coronavirus cases in United States, the world’s worst hit nation, topped 6 million on Sunday as many states in US’s Midwest region started reporting new surges since the last month. This also comes as school and universities started reopening across the states.

After reporting a constant surge in infections, Mexico’s death toll surpassed 64,000 mark after recording 339 new fatalities. The country’s total death toll stands at 64,158 currently and the case count is 595,841. Mexico has the third worst death toll in the world after the United States and Brazil.

(With inputs from agencies)

As number of Covid-19 cases continue to surge, the virus epicentre has shifted to India even as cases topped 6 million and 7 million in the United States and the Latin American region respectively.

As number of Covid-19 cases continue to surge, the virus epicentre has shifted to India even as cases topped 6 million and 7 million in the United States and the Latin American region respectively. As many as 25,377,704 people around the world have been diagnosed with Covid-19. While more than 17,700,781 have recovered, 850,149 have died so far. The US, the worst-hit country, has 6,173,229. cases. It is followed by Brazil, which has 3,862,311. Coronavirus cases in United States, the world’s worst hit nation, topped 6 million on Sunday as many states in US’s Midwest region started reporting new surges since the last month. This also comes as school and universities started reopening across the states. After reporting a constant surge in infections, Mexico’s death toll surpassed 64,000 mark after recording 339 new fatalities. The country’s total death toll stands at 64,158 currently and the case count is 595,841. Mexico has the third worst death toll in the world after the United States and Brazil. (With inputs from agencies)

Coronavirus cases in US top 6 million; Mexico’s toll surpasses 64,000

Wuhan, Ground Zero for the COVID-19 pandemic and the Chinese city hardest hit by the coronavirus, will reopen all its schools and kindergartens on Tuesday, local authorities said.

As many as 2,842 educational institutions across the city are set to open their doors to almost 1.4 million students when the autumn semester gets underway, the local government announced on Friday. Wuhan University reopened on Monday.

The city said it has drawn up emergency plans to switch back to online teaching should risk levels change. It advised students to wear masks to and from school and avoid public transportation if possible.

Schools have been ordered to stock up on disease control equipment and to carry out drills and training sessions to help prepare for new outbreaks. They must also restrict unnecessary mass gatherings, and submit daily reports to health authorities.

Foreign students and teachers who have not received notice from their school will not be allowed to return, it said.

The central Chinese city, where the COVID-19 epidemic is believed to have originated, was locked down for more than two months from late January. The city`s death toll of 3,869 accounts for more than 80% of China`s total.

Wuhan has been steadily returning to normal since April, when the lockdown was lifted, and it has not reported any new local transmissions of the coronavirus since May 18.

Wuhan, Ground Zero for the COVID-19 pandemic and the Chinese city hardest hit by the coronavirus, will reopen all its schools and kindergartens on Tuesday, local authorities said.

Wuhan, Ground Zero for the COVID-19 pandemic and the Chinese city hardest hit by the coronavirus, will reopen all its schools and kindergartens on Tuesday, local authorities said. As many as 2,842 educational institutions across the city are set to open their doors to almost 1.4 million students when the autumn semester gets underway, the local government announced on Friday. Wuhan University reopened on Monday. The city said it has drawn up emergency plans to switch back to online teaching should risk levels change. It advised students to wear masks to and from school and avoid public transportation if possible. Schools have been ordered to stock up on disease control equipment and to carry out drills and training sessions to help prepare for new outbreaks. They must also restrict unnecessary mass gatherings, and submit daily reports to health authorities. Foreign students and teachers who have not received notice from their school will not be allowed to return, it said. The central Chinese city, where the COVID-19 epidemic is believed to have originated, was locked down for more than two months from late January. The city`s death toll of 3,869 accounts for more than 80% of China`s total. Wuhan has been steadily returning to normal since April, when the lockdown was lifted, and it has not reported any new local transmissions of the coronavirus since May 18.

China's Wuhan says all schools to reopen on Tuesday

People in China's capital Beijing are no longer required to wear masks outdoors, health authorities said on Friday, a second such announcement since May when it was reversed after a recurrence of coronavirus cases in the city.

According to official data, Beijing had 935 cases of coronavirus since February this year of which 924 have recovered. The city reported nine deaths.

People are no longer required to wear masks outdoors, but they still need to wear masks when in close contact with others, a new guideline issued by the Beijing Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said.

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/partygoers-flood-water-park-in-wuhan-the-original-epicentre-of-coronavirus-321490">Partygoers flood water park in Wuhan, the original epicentre of coronavirus</a>

Under flashing lights and with dance music blaring, scores of people converged on a pool party on August 15&nbsp;in the Chinese city of&nbsp;Wuhan&nbsp;where the novel coronavirus emerged late last year.

Videos and photos of an electronic music festival at the&nbsp;Wuhan&nbsp;Maya Beach Water Park showed face mask free revellers crammed into rubber dinghies and performers on stage partying, months after the city's lockdown was lifted in April.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/papua-new-guinea-bars-chinese-workers-in-vaccine-trial-over-coronavirus-risk-322161" hreflang="en">Papua New Guinea bars Chinese workers in vaccine trial over coronavirus risk</a>

Chinese state newspapers threw their support behind the party at the&nbsp;amusement park. A&nbsp;story in the Global Times, a tabloid published by the ruling Communist Party's People's Daily, cited&nbsp;Wuhan&nbsp;residents as saying the pool party reflected the city's success in its virus-control efforts.

Chinese football fans will return to the stadiums this Saturday when the gaming season begins. Thousands of fans will be allowed to attend a high-profile football match after they get tested.

China is portraying an image that all is well in the country and it is, therefore, returning to normalcy.

However, 48&nbsp;Chinese workers were banned from entering a mine in&nbsp;Papua New Guinea because they might test positive for the Wuhan virus.

The workers had been due to fly from the northern city of Tianjin to the Ramu NiCo plant in northern Papua New Guinea run by state-run Metallurgical Corporation of China Ltd (MCC).

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" mozallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="http://w3.cdn.anvato.net/player/prod/v3/anvload.html?key=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%3D%3D" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The Chinese state-backed firm insisted on sending them back to work. It said they have been given a vaccine for the virus. Although the world has no idea about the whereabouts of this vaccine,&nbsp;China metallurgical group corporation&nbsp;managed to get it and get it&nbsp;injected it into its employees.

When Papua New Guinea demanded an explantion behind the entire incident. China's&nbsp;foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said&nbsp;he was not aware of the matter, adding that he believes&nbsp;China's vaccine development strictly follows standardised scientific protocol, and that safety and effectiveness evaluations as well as ethical inspections are carried out in the research process.

People in China's capital Beijing are no longer required to wear masks outdoors, health authorities said on Friday, a second such announcement since May when it was reversed after a recurrence of coronavirus cases in the city.

People in China's capital Beijing are no longer required to wear masks outdoors, health authorities said on Friday, a second such announcement since May when it was reversed after a recurrence of coronavirus cases in the city. According to official data, Beijing had 935 cases of coronavirus since February this year of which 924 have recovered. The city reported nine deaths. People are no longer required to wear masks outdoors, but they still need to wear masks when in close contact with others, a new guideline issued by the Beijing Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said. Also see: Partygoers flood water park in Wuhan, the original epicentre of coronavirus Under flashing lights and with dance music blaring, scores of people converged on a pool party on August 15 in the Chinese city of Wuhan where the novel coronavirus emerged late last year. Videos and photos of an electronic music festival at the Wuhan Maya Beach Water Park showed face mask free revellers crammed into rubber dinghies and performers on stage partying, months after the city's lockdown was lifted in April. Also read: Papua New Guinea bars Chinese workers in vaccine trial over coronavirus risk Chinese state newspapers threw their support behind the party at the amusement park. A story in the Global Times, a tabloid published by the ruling Communist Party's People's Daily, cited Wuhan residents as saying the pool party reflected the city's success in its virus-control efforts. Chinese football fans will return to the stadiums this Saturday when the gaming season begins. Thousands of fans will be allowed to attend a high-profile football match after they get tested. China is portraying an image that all is well in the country and it is, therefore, returning to normalcy. However, 48 Chinese workers were banned from entering a mine in Papua New Guinea because they might test positive for the Wuhan virus. The workers had been due to fly from the northern city of Tianjin to the Ramu NiCo plant in northern Papua New Guinea run by state-run Metallurgical Corporation of China Ltd (MCC). × The Chinese state-backed firm insisted on sending them back to work. It said they have been given a vaccine for the virus. Although the world has no idea about the whereabouts of this vaccine, China metallurgical group corporation managed to get it and get it injected it into its employees. When Papua New Guinea demanded an explantion behind the entire incident. China's foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said he was not aware of the matter, adding that he believes China's vaccine development strictly follows standardised scientific protocol, and that safety and effectiveness evaluations as well as ethical inspections are carried out in the research process.

After Wuhan water park party, now Beijing says face masks not mandatory in public spaces

Partygoers flood water park in Wuhan, the original epicentre of coronavirus

Ninety per cent of a sample group of coronavirus-recovered patients from a prominent hospital in China's Wuhan city where the pandemic broke out have reported lung damage and five per cent of them are again in quarantine after testing positive for the virus, according to a media report on Wednesday.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/global-coronavirus-deaths-exceed-700000-one-person-dies-every-15-seconds-on-average-318343" hreflang="en">Global coronavirus deaths exceed 700,000, one person dies every 15 seconds on average</a>

A team at the Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University led by Peng Zhiyong, director of the hospital's Intensive Care Unit, has been conducting follow-up visits with '100 recovered patients' since April.

The first phase of this one-year programme finished in July. The average age of the patients in the study is 59.

According to the first phase results, 90 per cent of the patients' lungs are still in a damaged state, which means their lungs ventilation and gas exchange functions have not recovered to the level of healthy people, state-run Global Times reported.

Peng's team conducted a six-minute walking test with the patients. They found that the recovered patients could only walk 400 metres in six minutes while their healthy peers could walk 500 metres in the same period.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/latin-america-now-has-worlds-highest-coronavirus-death-toll-318236" hreflang="en">Latin America now has world's highest coronavirus death toll</a>

Some recovered patients have to rely on oxygen machines even three months after being discharged from the hospital, Liang Tengxiao, a doctor from the Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, was quoted as saying by the report.

Liang's team is also conducting follow-up visits with recovered patients aged above 65.

The results also showed that antibodies against the novel coronavirus in 10 per cent of the 100 patients have disappeared.

Five per cent of them received negative results in COVID-19 nucleic acid tests but positive results in Immunoglobulin M (IgM) tests, and thus have to be quarantined again, the report said.

IgM is usually the first antibody produced by the immune system when a virus attacks. A positive result in an IgM test usually means that a person has just been infected by the virus.

It is still unclear if this means these people have been infected again.

The 100 patients' immune systems have not fully recovered as they showed a low level of B cells -- - a primary force for killing viruses in the human body -- but a high level of T cells which only recognise viral antigens outside infected cells.

"The results revealed that the patients' immune systems are still recovering," Peng said.

The patients also suffered depression and a sense of stigma. Most of the recovered patients told the team that their families were not willing to have dinner with them at the same table, the report said.

Less than half of the recovered patients have returned to work, it said.

The findings are significant as the coronavirus first emerged in Wuhan city.

Hubei province for which Wuhan is the provincial capital has reported a total of 68,138 confirmed COVID-19 cases till now. The disease has claimed 4,512 lives in the province, according to the official data.

China reported 27 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, including 22 locally-transmitted cases, the National Health Commission (NHC) said on Wednesday.

All locally-transmitted cases were reported in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the NHC said.

On Tuesday, five new imported cases were also reported. Of the cases, two were reported in Shanghai and one each in Beijing, Sichuan and Shaanxi, the commission said.

As of Tuesday, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases had reached 84,491, including 810 patients who were still being treated, with 36 in severe condition.

Altogether 79,047 people had been discharged after recovery, and 4,634 had died of the disease in the mainland, the NHC said.

Ninety per cent of a sample group of coronavirus-recovered patients from a prominent hospital in China's Wuhan city where the pandemic broke out have reported lung damage and five per cent of them are again in quarantine after testing positive for the virus, according to a media report on Wednesday.

Ninety per cent of a sample group of coronavirus-recovered patients from a prominent hospital in China's Wuhan city where the pandemic broke out have reported lung damage and five per cent of them are again in quarantine after testing positive for the virus, according to a media report on Wednesday. Also read: Global coronavirus deaths exceed 700,000, one person dies every 15 seconds on average A team at the Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University led by Peng Zhiyong, director of the hospital's Intensive Care Unit, has been conducting follow-up visits with '100 recovered patients' since April. The first phase of this one-year programme finished in July. The average age of the patients in the study is 59. According to the first phase results, 90 per cent of the patients' lungs are still in a damaged state, which means their lungs ventilation and gas exchange functions have not recovered to the level of healthy people, state-run Global Times reported. Peng's team conducted a six-minute walking test with the patients. They found that the recovered patients could only walk 400 metres in six minutes while their healthy peers could walk 500 metres in the same period. Also read: Latin America now has world's highest coronavirus death toll Some recovered patients have to rely on oxygen machines even three months after being discharged from the hospital, Liang Tengxiao, a doctor from the Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, was quoted as saying by the report. Liang's team is also conducting follow-up visits with recovered patients aged above 65. The results also showed that antibodies against the novel coronavirus in 10 per cent of the 100 patients have disappeared. Five per cent of them received negative results in COVID-19 nucleic acid tests but positive results in Immunoglobulin M (IgM) tests, and thus have to be quarantined again, the report said. IgM is usually the first antibody produced by the immune system when a virus attacks. A positive result in an IgM test usually means that a person has just been infected by the virus. It is still unclear if this means these people have been infected again. The 100 patients' immune systems have not fully recovered as they showed a low level of B cells -- - a primary force for killing viruses in the human body -- but a high level of T cells which only recognise viral antigens outside infected cells. "The results revealed that the patients' immune systems are still recovering," Peng said. The patients also suffered depression and a sense of stigma. Most of the recovered patients told the team that their families were not willing to have dinner with them at the same table, the report said. Less than half of the recovered patients have returned to work, it said. The findings are significant as the coronavirus first emerged in Wuhan city. Hubei province for which Wuhan is the provincial capital has reported a total of 68,138 confirmed COVID-19 cases till now. The disease has claimed 4,512 lives in the province, according to the official data. China reported 27 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, including 22 locally-transmitted cases, the National Health Commission (NHC) said on Wednesday. All locally-transmitted cases were reported in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the NHC said. On Tuesday, five new imported cases were also reported. Of the cases, two were reported in Shanghai and one each in Beijing, Sichuan and Shaanxi, the commission said. As of Tuesday, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases had reached 84,491, including 810 patients who were still being treated, with 36 in severe condition. Altogether 79,047 people had been discharged after recovery, and 4,634 had died of the disease in the mainland, the NHC said.

90% of recovered COVID-19 patients in Wuhan suffering from lung damage: Report

Latin America broke through 5 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday, a Reuters tally showed, underscoring that the region is the area of the world hardest hit by the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The coronavirus was initially slower to reach Latin America - home to about 640 million people - than much of the world. But health experts say it has been hard to control the virus due to the region's poverty and densely packed cities.

The more than 10,000 new cases reported by Colombia's health ministry on Monday pushed the region past the 5 million mark, a day after the Andean nation reported a record 11,470 cases.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/india-news/brazil-announces-south-american-meeting-on-amazon-accepts-chiles-help-246265" hreflang="en">Brazil announces South American meeting on Amazon, accepts Chile's help</a>

Latin America has now topped 200,000 deaths. Brazil's total approached 96,000 on Monday and Mexico surpassed 48,000. The two countries have the world's second and third highest death tolls, after the United States.

North America is the region with the second highest number of cases, with 4.8 million infections, according to a Reuters tally, followed by Europe and Asia, which have around 3 million infections each.

Latin America is particularly vulnerable to the virus due to high levels of poverty, urbanization and labor informality, according to a July 30 report by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean and the Pan American Health Organization.

More than 100 million people across Latin America and the Caribbean live in slums, according to the United Nations Human Settlements Programme. Many have jobs in the informal sector with little in the way of a social safety net and have continued to work throughout the pandemic.

"The pandemic has become an precedented economic and social crisis and, if urgent measures are not taken, it could transform into a food, humanitarian, and political crisis," the report warned.

Latin America has also a high death rate from the virus, likely due to a number of factors, including high levels of underlying conditions such as diabetes and obesity.

Latin America broke through 5 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday, a Reuters tally showed, underscoring that the region is the area of the world hardest hit by the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Latin America broke through 5 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday, a Reuters tally showed, underscoring that the region is the area of the world hardest hit by the novel coronavirus pandemic. The coronavirus was initially slower to reach Latin America - home to about 640 million people - than much of the world. But health experts say it has been hard to control the virus due to the region's poverty and densely packed cities. The more than 10,000 new cases reported by Colombia's health ministry on Monday pushed the region past the 5 million mark, a day after the Andean nation reported a record 11,470 cases. Also read: Brazil announces South American meeting on Amazon, accepts Chile's help Latin America has now topped 200,000 deaths. Brazil's total approached 96,000 on Monday and Mexico surpassed 48,000. The two countries have the world's second and third highest death tolls, after the United States. North America is the region with the second highest number of cases, with 4.8 million infections, according to a Reuters tally, followed by Europe and Asia, which have around 3 million infections each. Latin America is particularly vulnerable to the virus due to high levels of poverty, urbanization and labor informality, according to a July 30 report by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean and the Pan American Health Organization. More than 100 million people across Latin America and the Caribbean live in slums, according to the United Nations Human Settlements Programme. Many have jobs in the informal sector with little in the way of a social safety net and have continued to work throughout the pandemic. "The pandemic has become an precedented economic and social crisis and, if urgent measures are not taken, it could transform into a food, humanitarian, and political crisis," the report warned. Latin America has also a high death rate from the virus, likely due to a number of factors, including high levels of underlying conditions such as diabetes and obesity.

Latin America exceeds five million COVID-19 cases

A World Health Organization (WHO) team sent to China to launch a probe into the origins of the new coronavirus had "extensive discussions" with Chinese counterparts, including video exchanges with scientists in Wuhan where the outbreak was first detected, a spokesman said on Tuesday.

The final results of the investigation are keenly awaited by scientists and governments around the world, none more so than Washington, which lobbied hard for the mission.

The Trump administration has accused&nbsp;the WHO of being China-centric and plans to leave the agency over its handling of the pandemic.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-will-retaliate-against-us-bullying-chinese-companies-and-journalists-chinese-media-318020" hreflang="en">China will retaliate against US bullying: Chinese media</a>

"The team had extensive discussions with Chinese counterparts and received updates on epidemiological studies, biologic and genetic analysis and animal health research," WHO's Christian Lindmeier told reporters.

The three-week advance mission comprising two specialists in animal health and epidemiology was tasked with laying the groundwork for a broader team of Chinese and international experts that will seek to discover how the virus that causes COVID-19 jumped the species barrier from animals to humans.

Lindmeier did not provide details on the timing or composition of the broader mission.

Terms of reference for the broader mission have been produced together with Chinese authorities in draft form, he said, and were not yet publicly available.

A World Health Organization (WHO) team sent to China to launch a probe into the origins of the new coronavirus had "extensive discussions" with Chinese counterparts, including video exchanges with scientists in Wuhan where the outbreak was first detected, a spokesman said on Tuesday.

A World Health Organization (WHO) team sent to China to launch a probe into the origins of the new coronavirus had "extensive discussions" with Chinese counterparts, including video exchanges with scientists in Wuhan where the outbreak was first detected, a spokesman said on Tuesday. The final results of the investigation are keenly awaited by scientists and governments around the world, none more so than Washington, which lobbied hard for the mission. The Trump administration has accused the WHO of being China-centric and plans to leave the agency over its handling of the pandemic. Also read: China will retaliate against US bullying: Chinese media "The team had extensive discussions with Chinese counterparts and received updates on epidemiological studies, biologic and genetic analysis and animal health research," WHO's Christian Lindmeier told reporters. The three-week advance mission comprising two specialists in animal health and epidemiology was tasked with laying the groundwork for a broader team of Chinese and international experts that will seek to discover how the virus that causes COVID-19 jumped the species barrier from animals to humans. Lindmeier did not provide details on the timing or composition of the broader mission. Terms of reference for the broader mission have been produced together with Chinese authorities in draft form, he said, and were not yet publicly available.

WHO says China team interviewed Wuhan scientists over coronavirus origins

After outbreaks of coronavirus were reported on animal farms in Spain and the Netherlands, scientists are now wondering whether minks have the capability to transmit the virus onto humans.

Even though it is widely believed that the virus was passed on to minks from humans, scientists find it “plausible” that the minks further transmitted the virus to other staff members.

In May, when Spain was hit hard by the virus, an outbreak was recorded on a mink farm near La Puebla de Valverde, which infected over 14.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/how-pandemic-worsened-the-cruel-fate-of-minks-314142" hreflang="en">How pandemic worsened the cruel fate of minks?</a>

Owing to this, 92,000 minks were killed in order to limit the scope of transmission. It was believed that over 90 per cent of the animals had developed the virus.

A similar outbreak happened in the Netherlands, and scientists from the Wageningen University and Research found that the virus strain found in animals was similar to the one found in humans.&nbsp;

When the pandemic began in Wuhan in December 2019, everybody widely thought that it came from bats, which were a delicacy at the wet market where the pilot cluster began.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="http://wionews.com/videos/gravitas-a-million-minks-culled-in-europe-314145/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Humans to animals? Or the other way?

If the involvement of minks in enabling transmission of the virus is ascertained, it would prove that humans may catch the virus from animals, and hence need to practice more precaution.

It is widely believed that humans may pass on the infection to animals, but there is no proof of reverse transmission yet.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the transmission from animals to humans remains “very limited”, and not a threat so far.&nbsp;The organisation’s Dr Maria Van Kerkhove said that this may give us more information about the risk in animals.

"This gives us some clues about which animals may be susceptible to infection and this will help us as we learn more about the potential animal reservoir of (the virus)”, Kerkhove said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/dutch-to-slaughter-around-10000-mink-after-coronavirus-outbreak-on-farms-303412" hreflang="en">Dutch to slaughter around 10,000 mink after coronavirus outbreak on farms</a>

In the Netherlands alone, fearing a spike in cases among humans, a million minks have been killed across 26 farms, as per data from the Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority.

All countries with mink farms in the region have upped precautions to avoid transmission among humans.

After outbreaks of coronavirus were reported on animal farms in Spain and the Netherlands, scientists are now wondering whether minks have the capability to transmit the virus onto humans.

After outbreaks of coronavirus were reported on animal farms in Spain and the Netherlands, scientists are now wondering whether minks have the capability to transmit the virus onto humans. Even though it is widely believed that the virus was passed on to minks from humans, scientists find it “plausible” that the minks further transmitted the virus to other staff members. In May, when Spain was hit hard by the virus, an outbreak was recorded on a mink farm near La Puebla de Valverde, which infected over 14. Also read: How pandemic worsened the cruel fate of minks? Owing to this, 92,000 minks were killed in order to limit the scope of transmission. It was believed that over 90 per cent of the animals had developed the virus. A similar outbreak happened in the Netherlands, and scientists from the Wageningen University and Research found that the virus strain found in animals was similar to the one found in humans. When the pandemic began in Wuhan in December 2019, everybody widely thought that it came from bats, which were a delicacy at the wet market where the pilot cluster began. Humans to animals? Or the other way? If the involvement of minks in enabling transmission of the virus is ascertained, it would prove that humans may catch the virus from animals, and hence need to practice more precaution. It is widely believed that humans may pass on the infection to animals, but there is no proof of reverse transmission yet. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the transmission from animals to humans remains “very limited”, and not a threat so far. The organisation’s Dr Maria Van Kerkhove said that this may give us more information about the risk in animals. "This gives us some clues about which animals may be susceptible to infection and this will help us as we learn more about the potential animal reservoir of (the virus)”, Kerkhove said. Also read: Dutch to slaughter around 10,000 mink after coronavirus outbreak on farms In the Netherlands alone, fearing a spike in cases among humans, a million minks have been killed across 26 farms, as per data from the Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority. All countries with mink farms in the region have upped precautions to avoid transmission among humans.

Outbreaks among minks hold secrets to understanding animal-to-human transmission of COVID-19

US biotech firm Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine induced a robust immune response and prevented the coronavirus from replicating in the noses and lungs of monkeys, a study in the New England Journal of Medicine said Tuesday. 
 
The fact that the vaccine prevented the virus from replicating in the nose is seen as particularly crucial in preventing it from being transmitted onward to others.&nbsp; 
 
The same outcome did not occur when the University of Oxford's vaccine was tested on monkeys, though that vaccine did prevent the virus from entering the animals' lungs and making them very sick.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/majority-of-healthy-recovered-coronavirus-patients-show-heart-damage-months-later-316654" hreflang="en">Majority of 'healthy' recovered coronavirus patients show heart damage months later</a> 
 
In the Moderna animal study, three groups of eight rhesus macaques received either a placebo or the vaccine at two different dose levels -- 10 micrograms and 100 micrograms. 
 
All vaccinated macaques produced high levels of neutralizing antibodies that attack a part of the SARS-CoV-2 virus used to invade cells. 
 
Notably, monkeys receiving both dose levels produced these antibodies at levels higher than those found in humans who have recovered from COVID-19. 
 
The authors reported that the vaccine also induced the production of a different immune cell known as T-cells that may have helped boost the overall response. 
 
A major area of concern is that vaccines under development could actually backfire by amplifying rather than suppressing the disease. 
 
So-called vaccine-associated enhancement of respiratory disease (VAERD) has been linked to the production of a specific type of T-cell known as Th2 -- but these cells were not produced during the experiment, suggesting this vaccine won't backfire.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-intends-to-be-worlds-first-approval-of-covid-19-vaccine-by-mid-august-316643" hreflang="en">Russia intends to be world's first approval of COVID-19 vaccine by mid-August</a> 
 
Four weeks after the monkeys received their second injection, they were exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, both through the nose and directly to the lungs via a tube. 
 
After two days, no replicating virus was detected in the lungs of seven of the eight macaques in both the low and high dose groups. 
 
By contrast, all eight in the placebo group continued to have the virus present. 
 
None of the eight macaques in the high dose groups had detectable levels of virus in their noses two days after exposure.&nbsp; 
 
"This is the first time an experimental COVID-19 vaccine tested in nonhuman primates has been shown to produce such rapid viral control in the upper airway," said the National Institutes for Health, which co-developed the vaccine. 
 
A COVID-19 vaccine capable of stopping the virus in the lungs will prevent the disease from becoming severe, while stopping the virus from replicating in the nose would lessen transmission. 
 
The Moderna vaccine uses genetic material in the form of viral RNA to encode the information needed to grow the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein inside the human body to trigger an immune response. 
 
Spike proteins give coronaviruses their crown-like appearance and are used to invade human cells, but by themselves are thought to be relatively harmless. 
 
The advantage of this technology is that it bypasses the need to manufacture viral proteins in the lab, helping to ramp up mass production. 
 
Both Moderna's vaccine and the vaccine co-developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca have entered late-stage human trials.

US biotech firm Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine induced a robust immune response and prevented the coronavirus from replicating in the noses and lungs of monkeys, a study in the New England Journal of Medicine said Tuesday.

US biotech firm Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine induced a robust immune response and prevented the coronavirus from replicating in the noses and lungs of monkeys, a study in the New England Journal of Medicine said Tuesday. The fact that the vaccine prevented the virus from replicating in the nose is seen as particularly crucial in preventing it from being transmitted onward to others. The same outcome did not occur when the University of Oxford's vaccine was tested on monkeys, though that vaccine did prevent the virus from entering the animals' lungs and making them very sick. Also read: Majority of 'healthy' recovered coronavirus patients show heart damage months later In the Moderna animal study, three groups of eight rhesus macaques received either a placebo or the vaccine at two different dose levels -- 10 micrograms and 100 micrograms. All vaccinated macaques produced high levels of neutralizing antibodies that attack a part of the SARS-CoV-2 virus used to invade cells. Notably, monkeys receiving both dose levels produced these antibodies at levels higher than those found in humans who have recovered from COVID-19. The authors reported that the vaccine also induced the production of a different immune cell known as T-cells that may have helped boost the overall response. A major area of concern is that vaccines under development could actually backfire by amplifying rather than suppressing the disease. So-called vaccine-associated enhancement of respiratory disease (VAERD) has been linked to the production of a specific type of T-cell known as Th2 -- but these cells were not produced during the experiment, suggesting this vaccine won't backfire. Also read: Russia intends to be world's first approval of COVID-19 vaccine by mid-August Four weeks after the monkeys received their second injection, they were exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, both through the nose and directly to the lungs via a tube. After two days, no replicating virus was detected in the lungs of seven of the eight macaques in both the low and high dose groups. By contrast, all eight in the placebo group continued to have the virus present. None of the eight macaques in the high dose groups had detectable levels of virus in their noses two days after exposure. "This is the first time an experimental COVID-19 vaccine tested in nonhuman primates has been shown to produce such rapid viral control in the upper airway," said the National Institutes for Health, which co-developed the vaccine. A COVID-19 vaccine capable of stopping the virus in the lungs will prevent the disease from becoming severe, while stopping the virus from replicating in the nose would lessen transmission. The Moderna vaccine uses genetic material in the form of viral RNA to encode the information needed to grow the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein inside the human body to trigger an immune response. Spike proteins give coronaviruses their crown-like appearance and are used to invade human cells, but by themselves are thought to be relatively harmless. The advantage of this technology is that it bypasses the need to manufacture viral proteins in the lab, helping to ramp up mass production. Both Moderna's vaccine and the vaccine co-developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca have entered late-stage human trials.

Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine worked well in monkeys: Study

Coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc all over the world, infiltrating and decapitating every territory that falls in its way. Scientifically, the most annoying facet of the virus has been its unpredictability.

In the beginning, scientists weren’t sure what to make of it, and what its most definitive group of symptoms are. Over the course of 2020, the information has been modified many times. Very recently, a group of scientists posited that the virus may indeed be airborne, which shocked the scientific community worldwide.

As the death toll and the number of infections continue to induct record numbers everyday, a group of scientists have found that COVID-19 may be the underlying cause for more than lung-related ailments in the long term.

Heart damage

The new twin researches from Germany claim that the virus can trigger long-lasting heart damage. This is not limited to patients with co-morbidities; even healthy people can develop long-lasting damage after recovering from the virus.

Out of the two studies, one focused simply on the effects on the heart, while the other limited itself to its effects in the elderly.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/a-modified-strain-of-cannabis-was-recently-able-to-kill-cancer-cells-316647">A modified strain of cannabis was recently able to kill cancer cells</a>

The former was published in JAMA Cardiology on Monday and found that three-quarters of recovered patients experienced structural changes in their hearts, even two months after recovering from the virus.

The scientists took into account MRIs of over 100 patients who had now recovered, all aged between 45-53. They then juxtaposed the structural definitions of the heart with those who had never contracted the virus. Out of the 100, 78 showed changes in the basic structure of their hearts.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="http://wionews.com/videos/the-story-of-a-long-haul-covid-19-sufferer-long-term-effects-of-coronavirus-312705/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"Biomarker"

Out of these, 76 had a “biomarker”, which usually appears in people who experienced a heart attack. 60 also showed heart inflammation, which is called myocarditis. The most important facet of this study is perhaps that the majority of these people were “healthy” before contracting the virus. A false belief has long been held by people that only people with co-morbidities and the elderly develop the serious symptoms of virus. This has been dispelled multiple times over the course of the pandemic, as new information starts flowing in.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/dinosaur-era-microbes-lying-dormant-in-ocean-resuscitated-by-scientists-316620" hreflang="en">Dinosaur-era microbes lying dormant in ocean resuscitated by scientists</a>

Even weeks after recovering, the effects on the heart remained pronounced, opening doors of potential long-term effects that we may still not be aware of.

The second study focused on&nbsp;39 subjects aged between 78-89 who died in the earlier stages of the pandemic. The researchers analysed their autopsy reports and found that heart issues were noticed in more than 41 per cent of elderly patients.

Coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc all over the world, infiltrating and decapitating every territory that falls in its way. Scientifically, the most annoying facet of the virus has been its unpredictability.

Coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc all over the world, infiltrating and decapitating every territory that falls in its way. Scientifically, the most annoying facet of the virus has been its unpredictability. In the beginning, scientists weren’t sure what to make of it, and what its most definitive group of symptoms are. Over the course of 2020, the information has been modified many times. Very recently, a group of scientists posited that the virus may indeed be airborne, which shocked the scientific community worldwide. As the death toll and the number of infections continue to induct record numbers everyday, a group of scientists have found that COVID-19 may be the underlying cause for more than lung-related ailments in the long term. Heart damage The new twin researches from Germany claim that the virus can trigger long-lasting heart damage. This is not limited to patients with co-morbidities; even healthy people can develop long-lasting damage after recovering from the virus. Out of the two studies, one focused simply on the effects on the heart, while the other limited itself to its effects in the elderly. Also read: A modified strain of cannabis was recently able to kill cancer cells The former was published in JAMA Cardiology on Monday and found that three-quarters of recovered patients experienced structural changes in their hearts, even two months after recovering from the virus. The scientists took into account MRIs of over 100 patients who had now recovered, all aged between 45-53. They then juxtaposed the structural definitions of the heart with those who had never contracted the virus. Out of the 100, 78 showed changes in the basic structure of their hearts. "Biomarker" Out of these, 76 had a “biomarker”, which usually appears in people who experienced a heart attack. 60 also showed heart inflammation, which is called myocarditis. The most important facet of this study is perhaps that the majority of these people were “healthy” before contracting the virus. A false belief has long been held by people that only people with co-morbidities and the elderly develop the serious symptoms of virus. This has been dispelled multiple times over the course of the pandemic, as new information starts flowing in. Also read: Dinosaur-era microbes lying dormant in ocean resuscitated by scientists Even weeks after recovering, the effects on the heart remained pronounced, opening doors of potential long-term effects that we may still not be aware of. The second study focused on 39 subjects aged between 78-89 who died in the earlier stages of the pandemic. The researchers analysed their autopsy reports and found that heart issues were noticed in more than 41 per cent of elderly patients.

Majority of 'healthy' recovered coronavirus patients show heart damage months later

Under its Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund (APDRF) the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $3 million grant to India to&nbsp;support the government’s emergency response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

“The new grant complements ADB’s ongoing support to the Government of India in strengthening its COVID-19 response,” said ADB Director for Human and Social Development for South Asia Sungsup Ra. “This support will enhance disease surveillance and help in early detection, contact tracing, and treatment. This will be further supplemented by other public health measures.”

The grant, which is financed by the Government of Japan, will be used to procure thermal scanners and essential commodities to strengthen the Government of India’s COVID-19 response.

Meanwhile, India recorded 48,513 fresh coronavirus infections and 768 deaths linked to the highly contagious illness in the last 24 hours, which takes the country's tally to 15, 31,669 cases, the Union Health Ministry said this morning.&nbsp;

A total of 9, 88,029 patients in the country have recovered so far and 34,193 have died since the beginning of the pandemic, government data shows. Today's spike in cases comes a day after India crossed 15 lakh cases.

Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Gujarat have reported the highest number of cases. However, infections are rising rapidly in states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh. Only 700 new Covid-19 cases were reported in Mumbai, while Pune recorded a spike of 2,618 cases.

Worldometer has recorded 247,233 new cases worldwide in the past 24 hours.&nbsp;

As many as 16,883,445 people around the world have been diagnosed with Covid-19. While more than 10,445,764 have recovered 662,470 have died so far.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Under its Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund (APDRF) the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $3 million grant to India to support the government’s emergency response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

Under its Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund (APDRF) the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $3 million grant to India to support the government’s emergency response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. “The new grant complements ADB’s ongoing support to the Government of India in strengthening its COVID-19 response,” said ADB Director for Human and Social Development for South Asia Sungsup Ra. “This support will enhance disease surveillance and help in early detection, contact tracing, and treatment. This will be further supplemented by other public health measures.” The grant, which is financed by the Government of Japan, will be used to procure thermal scanners and essential commodities to strengthen the Government of India’s COVID-19 response. Meanwhile, India recorded 48,513 fresh coronavirus infections and 768 deaths linked to the highly contagious illness in the last 24 hours, which takes the country's tally to 15, 31,669 cases, the Union Health Ministry said this morning. A total of 9, 88,029 patients in the country have recovered so far and 34,193 have died since the beginning of the pandemic, government data shows. Today's spike in cases comes a day after India crossed 15 lakh cases. Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Gujarat have reported the highest number of cases. However, infections are rising rapidly in states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh. Only 700 new Covid-19 cases were reported in Mumbai, while Pune recorded a spike of 2,618 cases. Worldometer has recorded 247,233 new cases worldwide in the past 24 hours. As many as 16,883,445 people around the world have been diagnosed with Covid-19. While more than 10,445,764 have recovered 662,470 have died so far. (With inputs from agencies)

India gets $3 million booster from Asian Development Bank to ramp up combat against deadly coronavirus

The coronavirus pandemic has frustrated healthcare workers and scientists owing to its elusive nature, and the new information that keeps coming in as the pandemic progresses.

In the midst of this barrage of weekly new information, the World Health Organization continues to make new observations on the pandemic. The organisation has faced criticism for playing into the hands of Chinese authorities and delaying the public service announcements of COVID-19, which could have saved thousands of lives.

Also read: C<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-19-china-sees-over-100-cases-for-first-time-in-over-three-months-amidst-fear-of-second-wave-316675" hreflang="en">OVID-19: China sees over 100 cases for first time in over three months amidst fear of second wave</a>

Recently, a group of scientists pressed the WHO to consider that the virus is airborne and can be transmitted through air, and not simply through droplets emanating from coughing and sneezing.

Not seasonal

On Tuesday, the WHO dispelled all notions of incoming second waves of the virus in major former hotspots by claiming that the virus constitutes “one big wave”, and will not most probably become “seasonal”, for it does not share the characteristics of an influenza which emerges and disappears seasonally.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-signs-up-for-sanofi-gsk-coronavirus-vaccine-316677" hreflang="en">UK signs up for Sanofi-GSK coronavirus vaccine</a>

The WHO has avoided referring to any resurgence as “wave”. It believes this implies that the virus is out of human control. But research and on-ground action has shown how early tracing, detection, and isolation clubbed with basic hygiene practices can tremendously limit the transmission of the deadly virus.

A study recently in fact claimed that we might not even need vaccines if everybody took the virus seriously and follows social distancing and hand washing protocols rigorously.

“We are in the first wave. It’s going to be one big wave”, WHO’s Margaret Harris said during a briefing in Geneva.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="http://wionews.com/videos/gravitas-inside-the-russian-lab-that-is-making-the-covid-19-vaccine-314765/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Fluctuation to continue

Harris added that the intensity would continue to fluctuate, “it’s going to go up and down a bit”, while adding that limiting transmission is the only best shot at overcoming the pandemic.

“The best thing is to flatten it and turn it into just something lapping at your feet”, she said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/modernas-covid-19-vaccine-worked-well-in-monkeys-study-316662" hreflang="en">Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine worked well in monkeys: Study</a>

While referring to the elusive nature of the virus, she said that we must look beyond seasons. Additionally, she urged everyone to follow measures and to avoid mass gatherings.

"People are still thinking about seasons. What we all need&nbsp;to get our heads around is this is a new virus and...this one is&nbsp;behaving differently," Harris claimed.

She further said that the virus is not season-specific. "Summer is a problem. This virus likes all weather."

However, the confluence of seasonal influenza with COVID-19 could trigger an increase in the number of cases. Harris said that the WHO is monitoring this closely.

Based on current figures, the flu season this year will start later than the usual. She also urged people to get vaccinated against the flu to lighten the burden on healthcare.

The coronavirus pandemic has frustrated healthcare workers and scientists owing to its elusive nature, and the new information that keeps coming in as the pandemic progresses.

The coronavirus pandemic has frustrated healthcare workers and scientists owing to its elusive nature, and the new information that keeps coming in as the pandemic progresses. In the midst of this barrage of weekly new information, the World Health Organization continues to make new observations on the pandemic. The organisation has faced criticism for playing into the hands of Chinese authorities and delaying the public service announcements of COVID-19, which could have saved thousands of lives. Also read: COVID-19: China sees over 100 cases for first time in over three months amidst fear of second wave Recently, a group of scientists pressed the WHO to consider that the virus is airborne and can be transmitted through air, and not simply through droplets emanating from coughing and sneezing. Not seasonal On Tuesday, the WHO dispelled all notions of incoming second waves of the virus in major former hotspots by claiming that the virus constitutes “one big wave”, and will not most probably become “seasonal”, for it does not share the characteristics of an influenza which emerges and disappears seasonally. Also read: UK signs up for Sanofi-GSK coronavirus vaccine The WHO has avoided referring to any resurgence as “wave”. It believes this implies that the virus is out of human control. But research and on-ground action has shown how early tracing, detection, and isolation clubbed with basic hygiene practices can tremendously limit the transmission of the deadly virus. A study recently in fact claimed that we might not even need vaccines if everybody took the virus seriously and follows social distancing and hand washing protocols rigorously. “We are in the first wave. It’s going to be one big wave”, WHO’s Margaret Harris said during a briefing in Geneva. Fluctuation to continue Harris added that the intensity would continue to fluctuate, “it’s going to go up and down a bit”, while adding that limiting transmission is the only best shot at overcoming the pandemic. “The best thing is to flatten it and turn it into just something lapping at your feet”, she said. Also read: Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine worked well in monkeys: Study While referring to the elusive nature of the virus, she said that we must look beyond seasons. Additionally, she urged everyone to follow measures and to avoid mass gatherings. "People are still thinking about seasons. What we all need to get our heads around is this is a new virus and...this one is behaving differently," Harris claimed. She further said that the virus is not season-specific. "Summer is a problem. This virus likes all weather." However, the confluence of seasonal influenza with COVID-19 could trigger an increase in the number of cases. Harris said that the WHO is monitoring this closely. Based on current figures, the flu season this year will start later than the usual. She also urged people to get vaccinated against the flu to lighten the burden on healthcare.

Coronavirus not 'seasonal', the current pandemic constitutes 'one big wave': WHO

The United States continues to be the hardest-hit country by COVID-19, lodging in 1,000 deaths in the last 24 hours. It also has the world’s highest number of infections and deaths - more than 142,000 people have died of the virus in the country. California alone now has 400,000 cases of coronavirus.

However, a large section of people in the US do not believe these numbers. According to them, these are inflated.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-records-1000-deaths-in-one-day-from-covid-19-california-passes-400000-cases-315061" hreflang="en">US records 1,000 deaths in one day from COVID-19, California passes 400,000 cases</a>

A poll undertaken by Axios-Ipsos revealed that over 30 per cent respondents do not believe the numbers are real. They believe lesser Americans are dying than shown on record.

Whopping 31%

The 31 per cent pool of respondents signifies a surge in the scepticism surrounding American numbers, which stood at 23 per cent in May 2020.

This may be attributed to media consumption habits, the poll added. A whopping 62 per cent of Fox News watchers claims the statistics are inflated, while 48 per cent who identified with no single source of news believed the numbers do not reflect reality.&nbsp;On the other hand, only 7 per cent of CNN and MSNBC watchers felt the numbers were not real.

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/daunting-covid-19-records-that-us-will-never-forget-314991" hreflang="en">Daunting COVID-19 records that US will never forget</a>

An earlier CNN report showed how denial surrounding the impact of the virus has increased in the US, right in the midst of ever-growing cases in the country, suggesting a dangerous trend.

Besides the federal government, the COVID-19 numbers are compiled by independent outlets based on data received from hospitals, local medical examiners, and coroners officers.

Underreporting or overreporting?&nbsp;

However, the total opposite of what Americans believe is happening in the country. Due to limited knowledge about the virus and new information coming in everyday, many deaths are falsely attributed to other ailments that may have qualified as co-morbid coronavirus-related deaths.

The global medical discourse has constantly acknowledged underreported cases instead of over reported cases. Testing more is actually considered a good thing, for it makes identification and tracking of hotspots possible, which can then prevent further transmission of the virus.

The country has almost 4 million cases of coronavirus. An additionally 60,000 new cases were added on Monday. This is over four times the pan-Europe figure.

Reiterating his previous bizarre claim that the virus would “simply disappear”, Trump pitched the magical disappearance theory again during an interview on Sunday.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/joe-biden-is-considering-four-black-women-for-vice-president-315084" hreflang="en">Joe Biden is considering four Black women for vice-president</a>

Over the last two months, Republicans in the US have put forward claims of over reported cases in the country. In the aftermath of this, all hospitals are now submitting medical records to the federal Department of Health and Human Services, as opposed to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Following US are Brazil and India in terms of infections.

The United States continues to be the hardest-hit country by COVID-19, lodging in 1,000 deaths in the last 24 hours. It also has the world’s highest number of infections and deaths - more than 142,000 people have died of the virus in the country.

The United States continues to be the hardest-hit country by COVID-19, lodging in 1,000 deaths in the last 24 hours. It also has the world’s highest number of infections and deaths - more than 142,000 people have died of the virus in the country. California alone now has 400,000 cases of coronavirus. However, a large section of people in the US do not believe these numbers. According to them, these are inflated. Also read: US records 1,000 deaths in one day from COVID-19, California passes 400,000 cases A poll undertaken by Axios-Ipsos revealed that over 30 per cent respondents do not believe the numbers are real. They believe lesser Americans are dying than shown on record. Whopping 31% The 31 per cent pool of respondents signifies a surge in the scepticism surrounding American numbers, which stood at 23 per cent in May 2020. This may be attributed to media consumption habits, the poll added. A whopping 62 per cent of Fox News watchers claims the statistics are inflated, while 48 per cent who identified with no single source of news believed the numbers do not reflect reality. On the other hand, only 7 per cent of CNN and MSNBC watchers felt the numbers were not real. Also see: Daunting COVID-19 records that US will never forget An earlier CNN report showed how denial surrounding the impact of the virus has increased in the US, right in the midst of ever-growing cases in the country, suggesting a dangerous trend. Besides the federal government, the COVID-19 numbers are compiled by independent outlets based on data received from hospitals, local medical examiners, and coroners officers. Underreporting or overreporting? However, the total opposite of what Americans believe is happening in the country. Due to limited knowledge about the virus and new information coming in everyday, many deaths are falsely attributed to other ailments that may have qualified as co-morbid coronavirus-related deaths. The global medical discourse has constantly acknowledged underreported cases instead of over reported cases. Testing more is actually considered a good thing, for it makes identification and tracking of hotspots possible, which can then prevent further transmission of the virus. The country has almost 4 million cases of coronavirus. An additionally 60,000 new cases were added on Monday. This is over four times the pan-Europe figure. Reiterating his previous bizarre claim that the virus would “simply disappear”, Trump pitched the magical disappearance theory again during an interview on Sunday. Also read: Joe Biden is considering four Black women for vice-president Over the last two months, Republicans in the US have put forward claims of over reported cases in the country. In the aftermath of this, all hospitals are now submitting medical records to the federal Department of Health and Human Services, as opposed to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Following US are Brazil and India in terms of infections.

31% Americans believe coronavirus numbers are being over-reported: Poll

The United States reported more than 1,000 deaths from COVID-19 on Tuesday, according to a Reuters tally, marking the first time since June 10 the nation has surpassed that grim milestone, as California closed in on passing New York in total infections.

Nearly 142,000 Americans have now died from the illness caused by the coronavirus, a toll that experts warn will likely surge following recent record spikes in case numbers and an alarming rise in hospitalizations in many states.

But in some states, governors and local officials continued to bicker over the best way to respond to the crisis.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/portland-protest-crackdown-biden-accuses-trump-of-egregious-tactics-315040" hreflang="en">Portland protest crackdown: Biden accuses Trump of 'egregious tactics'</a>

In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott said Hidalgo county could not order residents to stay home and said mask and social distancing rules were sufficient to keep businesses open in the Rio Grande Valley, on the U.S. border with Mexico.&nbsp;

In Georgia, Governor Brian Kemp has sought to prevent Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms from enforcing an order that residents wear masks in public.

A court hearing on Kemp's lawsuit against Bottoms, a Democrat who has been mentioned as a possible running mate for presumptive presidential nominee Joe Biden, was postponed after two judges recused themselves.

In Florida, the state teachers' union has sued Governor Ron DeSantis and other officials in an attempt to halt his plans to reopen school classrooms as the state suffered a surge of more than 10,000 daily new COVID-19 cases for six out of the last seven days.

On average last week, 19% of Florida's tests for the virus came back positive, indicating widespread community transmission. Deaths have climbed 45% week-over-week.

"I think it's much better today than it was two weeks ago. And I think it will continue to improve," DeSantis said at a briefing on Tuesday, adding that hospitals were seeing plateaus in patient numbers.&nbsp;

About 20% of Florida's intensive care unit beds are available, 5% more than two weeks ago, after hospitals expanded capacity. The number of currently hospitalized coronavirus patients fell on Tuesday after rising to record highs at least nine days in a row, state data showed.

Neither Florida nor Georgia have issued statewide mask mandates. In Texas, Abbott initially resisted such an order but earlier this month agreed to require face coverings in most counties.

In Hidalgo County, cases have risen 59% in the last week to nearly 13,000 total. In just one week, deaths have doubled to over 300, according to a Reuters tally.

CALIFORNIA CASES RISE

California on Tuesday became the second U.S. state after New York to report more than 400,000 COVID-19 cases since the outbreak was first detected in the United States in January, according to a Reuters tally of county data.

New York - the epicenter of the pandemic earlier this year - has recorded by far the most deaths of any U.S. state at 32,218. California has reported more than 7,700 deaths.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-orders-congressional-districts-to-disallow-illegal-aliens-from-voting-315041" hreflang="en">Trump orders congressional districts to disallow 'illegal aliens' from voting</a>

But New York now has one of the nation's lowest infection rates and reported just two coronavirus-related deaths on Tuesday. It has eased its once strict lockdown restrictions.

Mandatory mask wearing, which public health officials say can slow the spread of the virus, has become a political issue among Americans, with many conservatives calling such rules a violation of their Constitutional rights.

President Donald Trump has been reluctant to wear a mask himself in public, but encouraged Americans on Tuesday to wear one if they cannot maintain social distance, and avoid crowded bars.

The United States reported more than 1,000 deaths from COVID-19 on Tuesday, according to a Reuters tally, marking the first time since June 10 the nation has surpassed that grim milestone, as California closed in on passing New York in total infections.

The United States reported more than 1,000 deaths from COVID-19 on Tuesday, according to a Reuters tally, marking the first time since June 10 the nation has surpassed that grim milestone, as California closed in on passing New York in total infections. Nearly 142,000 Americans have now died from the illness caused by the coronavirus, a toll that experts warn will likely surge following recent record spikes in case numbers and an alarming rise in hospitalizations in many states. But in some states, governors and local officials continued to bicker over the best way to respond to the crisis. Also read: Portland protest crackdown: Biden accuses Trump of 'egregious tactics' In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott said Hidalgo county could not order residents to stay home and said mask and social distancing rules were sufficient to keep businesses open in the Rio Grande Valley, on the U.S. border with Mexico. In Georgia, Governor Brian Kemp has sought to prevent Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms from enforcing an order that residents wear masks in public. A court hearing on Kemp's lawsuit against Bottoms, a Democrat who has been mentioned as a possible running mate for presumptive presidential nominee Joe Biden, was postponed after two judges recused themselves. In Florida, the state teachers' union has sued Governor Ron DeSantis and other officials in an attempt to halt his plans to reopen school classrooms as the state suffered a surge of more than 10,000 daily new COVID-19 cases for six out of the last seven days. On average last week, 19% of Florida's tests for the virus came back positive, indicating widespread community transmission. Deaths have climbed 45% week-over-week. "I think it's much better today than it was two weeks ago. And I think it will continue to improve," DeSantis said at a briefing on Tuesday, adding that hospitals were seeing plateaus in patient numbers. About 20% of Florida's intensive care unit beds are available, 5% more than two weeks ago, after hospitals expanded capacity. The number of currently hospitalized coronavirus patients fell on Tuesday after rising to record highs at least nine days in a row, state data showed. Neither Florida nor Georgia have issued statewide mask mandates. In Texas, Abbott initially resisted such an order but earlier this month agreed to require face coverings in most counties. In Hidalgo County, cases have risen 59% in the last week to nearly 13,000 total. In just one week, deaths have doubled to over 300, according to a Reuters tally. CALIFORNIA CASES RISE California on Tuesday became the second U.S. state after New York to report more than 400,000 COVID-19 cases since the outbreak was first detected in the United States in January, according to a Reuters tally of county data. New York - the epicenter of the pandemic earlier this year - has recorded by far the most deaths of any U.S. state at 32,218. California has reported more than 7,700 deaths. Also read: Trump orders congressional districts to disallow 'illegal aliens' from voting But New York now has one of the nation's lowest infection rates and reported just two coronavirus-related deaths on Tuesday. It has eased its once strict lockdown restrictions. Mandatory mask wearing, which public health officials say can slow the spread of the virus, has become a political issue among Americans, with many conservatives calling such rules a violation of their Constitutional rights. President Donald Trump has been reluctant to wear a mask himself in public, but encouraged Americans on Tuesday to wear one if they cannot maintain social distance, and avoid crowded bars.

US records 1,000 deaths in one day from COVID-19, California passes 400,000 cases

wuhan-virus-0

Wuhan Virus, News on Wuhan Virus, stories on Wuhan Virus, articles on Wuhan Virus, Wuhan Virus stories at Wion, Wuhan Virus news, Wuhan Virus latest news

wuhan virus-0