Criticism of Delayed Response to Wuhan Pneumonia Even Within China

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Park Sun-mi] As the number of confirmed cases of 'Wuhan pneumonia' rapidly increases in China, voices within the country are also emerging, criticizing the initial response as complacent.

On the 22nd, China's state-run Global Times reported on the announcement by the authorities in Shaping that on the 20th, 15 medical workers were diagnosed as confirmed cases of 'Wuhan pneumonia,' stating, "This important information came out too late," and "This was key evidence indicating the possibility of human-to-human transmission, but the details were disclosed too late. It should have been released earlier."

The newspaper explained, "While it is understandable that local governments bear overall responsibility for regional economic development, maintaining social stability is also an important responsibility," adding, "Even though the government judged the epidemic as an emergency, government officials were preoccupied with internal control."

It further criticized, "People living in the internet age will not accept such a government response attitude," and "If many people had understood the risks of this pneumonia earlier, they would have been more cautious, and the spread of the epidemic could have been suppressed."

The newspaper stated, "These aspects are regrettable in dealing with the Wuhan pneumonia issue," and "This case once again shows us that a pragmatic approach is necessary when handling complex problems."

Chinese authorities also seemed to realize the seriousness of the situation and issued stern warnings against false or downplayed reports.

The WeChat account Chang'an Jian (長安劍), operated by the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China, warned sternly, "Do not forget the painful lessons of SARS and report the current situation accurately," adding, "Party members who violate this by concealing or delaying reports for selfish purposes will suffer shameful pain forever."

Meanwhile, the State Council Information Office of China officially announced at a press briefing held at 10 a.m. local time that day, with officials from the National Health Commission participating, that the number of confirmed 'Wuhan pneumonia' cases and deaths had increased to 440 and 9, respectively. This was the first time the central government held a briefing for domestic and foreign journalists on the outbreak status and countermeasures of Wuhan pneumonia. It was also about 20 days since the Wuhan health authorities disclosed the cluster pneumonia infection at the end of last month.

At the press conference, Li Bin, Deputy Director of the National Health Commission of China, warned that 'Wuhan pneumonia' might mutate and expressed concern that "there is a risk of further spread." He added, "Human-to-human transmission and medical staff infections have already appeared, and transmission within the community exists to some extent," and urged caution, saying, "With the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) approaching, population movement will surge, increasing the risk of transmission and the difficulty of control."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.