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CHINA-HEALTH-VIRUS-POLITICS
China removes party chief of virus epicentre province
BEIJING, Feb 13, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – China has sacked the top political
leader of virus-stricken Hubei province, the epicentre of an epidemic that
has killed 1,355, state media reported Thursday.
Jiang Chaoliang, Hubei’s party secretary, will be replaced by Shanghai
mayor Ying Yong, according to the official Xinhua news agency, which gave no
additional details.
Jiang’s removal comes after Hubei’s two most senior health officials
were sacked Monday amid growing criticism of how local officials have handled
the crisis.
The province reported a dramatic spike in confirmed virus cases
Thursday, raising the total number of nationwide infections to nearly 60,000
after Hubei authorities changed the way they count infections.
The virus is believed to have originated late last year at a seafood
market in Hubei province’s capital Wuhan.
Pressure on local officials for their perceived incompetence has mounted
particularly after the death last week of a Chinese doctor who was punished
by Wuhan authorities for raising the alarm about the new virus.
Wuhan authorities also faced criticism in January for going ahead with
an annual public banquet for 40,000 families just days before the city was
placed on lockdown.
Other changes have been taking place in the province, including the
sacking of a top Red Cross official in Wuhan for dereliction of duty, while
senior Beijing official Chen Yixin has been sent to Wuhan to guide epidemic
control work.
BSS/AFP/FI/ 1010 hrs