China denies cover-up in coronavirus outbreak, national death toll jumps to 4,632 after revision

Earlier in the day, the Wuhan municipal headquarters reported its death toll as 4,632 revising from its earlier figures that totalled down to 3,869. The country also revised its umber of cases to 82,692.

Workers in protective overalls walk past the Hankou railway station on the eve of its resuming outbound traffic in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province on Tuesday, April 7, 2020. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

In face of international criticism over under-reporting coronavirus data, China Friday denied these allegations made by other countries of covering up the extent of its pandemic outbreak on Friday.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson acknowledged, as reported by PTI, that the virus’s rapid spread had contributed to undercounting that resulted in China raising its death toll earlier Friday, however, he added “there has never been any concealment, and we’ll never allow any concealment.”

Earlier in the day, the Wuhan municipal headquarters reported its death toll as 4,632 revising from its earlier figures that totalled down to 3,869. The country also revised its number of cases to 82,692.

As of April 16, the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Wuhan was increased by 325 to 50,333 and the number of fatalities up by 1,290 to 3,869.

In this Feb. 13, 2020, photo, a doctor checks the conditions of a patient in Jinyintan Hospital, designated for critical COVID-19 patients, in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province. (Chinatopix Via AP)

In a notification, the Wuhan municipal headquarters said the revisions were made in accordance with related laws and regulations as well as the principle of being responsible for history, the people and the deceased.

Explaining the reason for revising its coronavirus numbers, the Wuhan municipality said it was done to ensure that the information on the city’s COVID-19 epidemic is open and transparent, and that the data are accurate. Listing the reasons for the data discrepancies, it said the surging number of patients at the early stage of the epidemic overwhelmed medical resources and the admission capacity of medical institutions. Some patients died at home without having been treated in hospitals.

Residents wearing masks to protect against the spread of the coronavirus line up to enter a supermarket in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province on Friday, April 3, 2020. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

The registered information of some of the deceased patients was incomplete, and there were repetitions and mistakes in the reporting, the Wuhan authorities noted.

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Citing an official of the Wuhan municipal headquarters, Xinhua reported that a group for epidemic-related big data and epidemiological investigations was established in late March.

“What lies behind the epidemic data are the lives and health of the general public, as well as the credibility of the government,” the official was quoted by the report.

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