Ming Pao reported that, according to sources in Beijing, the Wuhan Coronavirus information was reported to the top leaders in early January, but both the Central leader and local leaders didn’t take enough action.
- At the end of December 2019, China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was involved.
- In early January, China’s CDC reported to the National Health Committee and top leaders of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
- On January 6, Gao Fu, head of China’s CDC, requested CDC to start a level II emergency response.
- On January 7, at the CCP Politburo Standing Committee meeting (coronavirus was not the main topic), Central leaders requested to pay attention on the prevention, but also requested not to create fear that would impact the festival mood of the people celebrating the upcoming Chinese New Year. Hubei and Wuhan didn’t take severe actions.
- On January 20, Zhong Nanshan stated that the virus could be transmitted from person to person, but it took three days for Hubei and Wuhan to decide to lock down these cities.
Related posting on Chinascope:
Excerpt in Chinese:
京城消息人士指出,去年12月底,武漢傳出不明原因肺炎後,中國疾控中心隨即介入了解。1月初,中心向國家衛健委等中央部門及中央領導通報預警,認為這不明原因肺炎有通過呼吸道傳播風險,應立即採取行動,包括在公共場所防控等。隨病例增加,專家分析病毒後認為,該病毒與沙士病毒相似度極高,中央應及早行動。
向中央通報預警後,消息人士指,1月6日,高福要求啟動中國疾病控制預防中心二級應急響應;這是高充分利用其權限調動了預警機制。但在1月7日的中央政治局常委會會議上,如何應對武漢不明原因肺炎並不是此次會議的重點。在會議上,中央領導人要求要注意防範,但同時要求不要因此造成恐慌而影響即將到來的農曆新年節日氣氛。
在領導人輕描談寫的指示下,湖北及武漢當局對肺炎一事並未引起足夠重視。在已發生人傳人病例後,湖北兩會照開,武漢也舉行盛大的萬家宴等聚會。京城消息人士指,包括高福等專家,在中央及地方均未高度重視疫情下,採取包括在國際期刊發表論文的預警方式。消息人士指,在制度設置上,中國流行病學、傳染病學等專家,必須向有關上級主管部門通報才能發表論文。
1月20日,鍾南山院士首次公開呼籲,武漢肺炎病毒存在人傳人,應引起足夠重視。京城消息人士指,這並非鍾南山的個人意見,而是與高福等專家深入交流的結果。但直到3天後,武漢才決定封城。疫情發生後,包括武漢、湖北及中科院武漢病毒所等部門紛紛「甩鍋」(推卸責任),消息人士稱,有關專家並非如外界盛傳未盡責任,而是權力高層決策及基層執行環節都出現嚴重錯判。
Source: Ming Pao, February 17, 2020
https://m.mingpao.com/pns/中國/article/20200217/s00013/1581878607338/京城密語-疾控早上報-中央為保節日氣氛失良機-文-鍾仕