BE HONEST

Hubei Told Not to Cover Up Virus Cases This Time as Its Lockdown Is Lifted After Two Months

The Chinese province where the coronavirus pandemic began is now free again—but experts aren’t sure it’s the right thing to do.

The draconian travel restrictions in China’s Hubei province—where the coronavirus pandemic began—have been lifted, effectively freeing millions of people from two months of unprecedented lockdown. But the return to freedom came with a warning from the Chinese government to local officials, who were told not to cover up new virus cases this time around. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang urged local leaders to be honest about new cases and “not cover up reports for the sake of keeping new case numbers at zero.” The Guardian reports that some health experts have questioned the accuracy of China’s claims that it has had several days with no new domestic cases. There have been persistent allegations of new infections in Wuhan, and accusations that China has manipulated data by not including asymptomatic cases. Experts have expressed concerns that the Chinese government is prioritizing economic recovery over total virus containment.