IMPORTANT: A/C to this @WHO thread, the team of scientists in #Wuhan will start “field visits” Friday (today) + these will, at some point, include trips to the market where the first #coronavirus cases were found & the Wuhan Lab where some have asked about a possible leak.
This thread raises many questions about what the team of scientists is trying to achieve in #China but, since nobody from the @WHO in #Wuhan has been available to be interviewed about the process, they’re remaining unanswered for the time being.
Head of the @WHO says he asked #China’s Health Minister for the data and access his team on the ground in #Wuhan needs along with chance to speak to Chinese scientists.
Chinese officials working with the WHO investigation team. #Wuhan#China We’re expecting the @WHO team to head out any minute for its first “field trip”.
We’re in the middle of the #WHO motorcade as they head out on their first field trip in #Wuhan. We think they might be heading to a hospital but who knows? We’ll see where we end up. #coronavirus#China
Plenty of media cars trying to stick with the #WHO motorcade as they drive to an undisclosed location on their first field trip in #Wuhan#China.
We’ve arrived at a hospital with the @WHO investigation team in #Wuhan#China searching for the origins of the #coronavirus...
This hospital (see above) is apparently where the first Chinese doctor to report the #coronavirus is based. #Wuhan#China
From one of the WHO team currently inside the hospital in #Wuhan#China ...
@WHO team in #Wuhan#China investigating the origins of the #coronavirus are on their second “field trip” day today. They are visiting the city’s Jinyintan Hospital which apparently specialises in treating infectious disease patients.
Doctors at #Wuhan’s Jinyintan Hospital wrote an article for the prestigious medical journal “The Lancet” about the first confirmed patient. #China#coronavirus@WHO
And the #WHO team leaves the hospital with media cars pursuing them. You’ll see here a few shooters bolting to their cars to chase the scientists who I think are potentially speeding off to have lunch. #China#Wuhan
Outside the WHO quarantine hotel stake out in #Wuhan right now. The visiting scientists come out of quarantine today and will move to a “normal” hotel but will still have some restrictions on their movements due to #China’s extra virus prevention measures.
We’ll be coming up soon on @BBCWorld TV, the Today programme on Radio 4, Good Morning #Scotland, World Service Radio Newsday, Radio 5Live, BBC TV news Breakfast etc etc
Julian Assange can not be extradited to the #USA! Court ruling just came down! #Britain
The judge ruled that Julian Assange could not be extradited because of fears he may self-harm. Assange #US extradition has been blocked in the #UK!
It seems the judge in the #UK rejected other arguments from the Assange team, like that the extradition request from the #US was politically motivated. The Government of the #USA is expected to appeal so the matter is not necessarily over now.
Zhang Zhan a Chinese “citizen journalist” who reported on the early days of the #coronavirus in #Wuhan has been given a four year prison sentence for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”. #Chiba#covid
The trial only lasted a few hours and then a four year prison sentence handed out. The scene outside...
According to Zhang Zhan's lawyers she appeared devastated in court as the sentence was read out. Her mother reportedly also sobbed loudly. The 37-year old's health is said to have been in decline following a hunger strike while in detention.
Looks like there is some form of #coronavirus outbreak in #Xinjiang’s #Kashgar. Housing apartment blocks reportedly on lock down. People need a nucleic acid test in order to fly out. #China
The #Kashgar Government says it has collected 300,000 #coronavirus test results as of 8am this morning and that city-wide testing will have been completed in just a few days. In the meantime school classes up to middle school to be suspended until the 30th of October. #China
This isn’t going to make sense & I don’t know how/why/what’s going on: officials in #Kashgar are now reporting 137 “asymptomatic” #coronavirus cases in that city and, wait for it, so far zero infections with symptoms. Surely they can see that this appears to be ridiculous? #China
Coming up: #HongKong’s #Beijing-installed leader Carrie Lam speaks to the U.N. in #Geneva about human rights on the same day the new security law comes into being making certain speech/other dissent potentially judged treason, sedition or secession punishable by hefty prison time
#HongKong’s new state security law has just reportedly been rubber stamped through the National People’s Congress Standing Committee in #Beijing with unanimous support from its 175 members. It’ll become law tomorrow. #China
In #HongKong the leadership of pro-democracy party Demosisto - incl Joshua Wong, Agnes Chow & Nathan Law - have all quit the Party they founded saying they could be targeted by the new state security law in their city. (BTW NPC Standing Cttee only has 162 members at present)