US State files lawsuit against China on coronavirus handling
Washington: A US State has filed a lawsuit against China alleging that Beijing's actions to suppress information, arrest whistleblowers and denying the contagious nature of the novel coronavirus led to "irreparable damage" to countries globally while causing human suffering and severe economic disruption.
Filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, the first of its kind lawsuit was filed by Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt against the Chinese government, the ruling Chinese Communist Party, and other Chinese officials and institutions.
The lawsuit alleges that during the critical weeks of the initial outbreak, the Chinese authorities deceived the public, suppressed crucial information, arrested whistleblowers, denied human-to-human transmission in the face of mounting evidence, destroyed critical medical research, permitted millions of people to be exposed to the virus, and even hoarded personal protective equipment (PPE, causing a global pandemic that was unnecessary and preventable.
"COVID-19 has done irreparable damage to countries across the globe, causing sickness, death, economic disruption, and human suffering. In Missouri, the impact of the virus is very real - thousands have been infected and many have died, families have been separated from dying loved ones, small businesses are shuttering their doors, and those living paycheck to paycheck are struggling to put food on their table," said Schmitt.
"The Chinese government lied to the world about the danger and contagious nature of COVID-19, silenced whistleblowers, and did little to stop the spread of the disease. They must be held accountable for their actions," he alleged.
According to the lawsuit, by late December, the Chinese health officials had serious evidence of human-to-human transmission.
Despite this evidence, the Chinese health officials did not report the outbreak to the World Health Organization until December 31. When the Chinese authorities did inform the WHO of the outbreak, they denied the potential for human-to-human transmission, it said.
The lawsuit also alleges that, despite having knowledge of the disease, the Chinese officials did little to contain the spread.
According to data gathered by the New York Times, nearly 175,000 individuals left Wuhan on January 1 alone to travel for the Lunar New Year. The Chinese government also continued with New Year celebrations, despite the risk for potential further infections.
The lawsuit seeks relief on one count of public nuisance, one count of abnormally dangerous activities, and two counts of breach of duty. Remedies could include civil penalties and restitution, abatement of the public nuisance, cessation of abnormally dangerous activities, punitive damages and more.
Senator Ben Sasse, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence welcomed the lawsuit.
"The Chinese Communist Party did what authoritarians always do: they hid the truth to save their hides. Chairman Xi's lies have killed hundreds of thousands of innocent people and wreaked untold economic damage," he said.
"Chairman Xi has silenced doctors, hid critical scientific data, refused access to health officials until mid-February, sent worthless equipment to Europe, and blamed the United States. After Americans beat this nasty virus, we're going to hold China's corrupt government accountable," Sasse said.
Last week, Congressmen Chris Smith and Ron Wright had introduced a legislation that would strip China and other countries of their sovereign immunity if they intentionally made misrepresentations regarding the coronavirus, thereby allowing US citizens, businesses and the local government to sue those governments for the deaths, pain and suffering, and economic losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"My bill strips China, and any other country which intentionally misleads the WHO, of its sovereign immunity, and allows Americans to sue the Chinese government in court for the damages they have suffered as a consequence of China's misrepresentations to the world about the seriousness and nature of the novel coronavirus," Smith said.
"Knowing full well that they had a deadly, and highly contagious disease on their hands, as late as mid-January China's communist leaders told the WHO that there was no need for any precautions, as everything was under control. Fact is, it wasn't," he said.
'"Many Americans have died, some will suffer permanent injuries, while still others will suffer harm to their businesses because of the Chinese government's lies. My bill makes it possible for Americans to recover some of what they have lost from China," Smith said.
US President Donald Trump warned on Saturday that China could face consequences if it was "knowingly responsible" for the coronavirus pandemic.
China has denied any cover-up in reporting the initial information of the novel coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan in December last year.
"China was the first country to report the COVID-19 to the World Health Organisation (WHO), (and) that doesn't mean the virus originated from Wuhan," Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Thursday.
The COVID-19 has claimed more than 45,000 lives and infected over 824,000 people in the US. Globally, the virus has killed 177,445 people and infected over 2.5 million, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
