China’s epicentre, Wuhan, has had its deathtoll steady at around 3,300 for weeks – until today, when it jumped to more 4,600.
That’s because the city of Wuhan, where the outbreak began, raised its death toll by 50% – that’s 1,290 cases – attributing it to updated reporting, and more deaths from outside hospitals being counted.
There has been doubt over China’s figures for some time, with US President Donald Trump suggesting they “seem to be a little bit on the light side”.
Releasing the corrected toll, Wuhan city officials insisted there had been no cover-up of the real figures.
Wuhan’s 11 million residents spent 11 weeks in strict lockdown conditions, which have only recently been eased.
