China Didn’t Warn Public Of Pandemic For 6 Key Days

Top Chinese officials secretly determined they were likely facing a pandemic from a new coronavirus in mid-January, ordering preparations even as they downplayed it in public. Internal documents obtained by the AP show that because warnings were muffled inside China, it took a confirmed case in Thailand to jolt Beijing into recognizing the possible pandemic before them. Still, it was nearly a week before officials warned the public. In that week, tens of thousands dined at a mass banquet and millions traveled through Wuhan, at the center of the outbreak. Experts say an earlier warning could have saved lives.