China News Service, Beijing, July 30 (Reporter Huang Yuqin) In response to the US media's disclosure that the Florida Department of Health had deleted data on early-stage COVID-19 patients, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a regular press conference on July 30 that related incidents may It is just the tip of the iceberg of the US concealing the epidemic. American politicians should give a responsible explanation for their disregard of facts, violation of science, and disregard of life.

　　A reporter asked questions. The American media "Palm Beach Post" and "Miami Pioneer" disclosed that the Florida Department of Health website showed the data of 171 patients who had symptoms of new coronary pneumonia or tested positive in January and February 2020. However, the data was deleted on the evening of May 4, 2020.

Later, the Florida Department of Health found that deleting the data caused the case number to be interrupted and had to restore the relevant data.

What is China's comment?

　　"I have noticed the relevant reports." Zhao Lijian responded, "The deletion of such important patient data by the United States once again exposed the political conspiracy of the United States to conceal the virus."

　　He pointed out that, first of all, the US is trying to whitewash the peace and forge its anti-epidemic results.

Regardless of the raging epidemic and the lives and deaths of the people at the time, the Florida state government eagerly proposed a three-step "reopening plan" on April 29. The opening date of the first phase was exactly May 4.

Deleting data is nothing more than trying to create an illusion that oneself is effective in fighting the epidemic, reopening the illusion that the economy is justified, and gaining political capital.

　　Zhao Lijian said that, secondly, we should link up and down to engage in political manipulation.

The former US President Trump declared on April 30 that he “had seen evidence that the virus originated from the Wuhan laboratory”, and on May 4 he changed his statement that “the virus spread from the Wuhan area”, constantly using the epidemic as a political exercise to suppress China. Get tools.

The report stated that none of the 171 cases in Florida had a history of travel to China. This is obviously inconsistent with the official narrative promoted by the US government, and the relevant data will naturally be deleted by the US.

According to reports, the department manager responsible for the data deletion task of the Florida Department of Health has clearly expressed opposition, but ended up being fired.

　　Zhao Lijian said that the third is to destroy evidence and conceal early cases.

Florida officially announced the first confirmed case of new coronary pneumonia on March 1.

However, it is reported that the above-mentioned 171 patient cases all appeared in January and February, and the earliest suspected case even appeared on January 1.

Many Florida people said they had symptoms of infection as early as January and February, but Florida and the federal government are very secretive about this.

This fully illustrates the confusion and opacity of case tracking and testing in the early stages of the outbreak in the United States.

　　Zhao Lijian further emphasized that the deletion of early case data by the Florida Department of Health may be just the tip of the iceberg in the US underreporting the epidemic. Research from the University of Washington shows that the number of new crown infections and deaths in the United States may be as high as 65 million and 900,000, respectively, and about 60% of infection cases are missed. Some politicians in the United States have claimed credit for themselves, but the majority of the people have suffered greatly, making the global fight against the epidemic worse. American politicians should provide a responsible explanation for their disregard of facts, violation of science, and disregard of life, and give the world an account that they deserve. (Finish)