By Lily Kuo in Beijing, Martin Farrer and Sarah Boseley
Political fallout from outbreak continues, with three more leaders sacked, as change in criteria leads to surge of cases
The number of deaths and infections caused by the coronavirus in China have risen dramatically after authorities changed the way they calculate the figures, amid an ongoing purge of party officials in the stricken province of Hubei.
On Thursday China confirmed 254 additional deaths – the majority of them in Hubei, the centre of the outbreak, bringing the total death toll to 1,367. After days of declines in new infections, Hubei province reported an enormous increase of almost 15,000 – a jump of about a third on the total so far.
Source: Coronavirus: China purges regional leaders hours after spike in deaths and new cases
Category: Coronavirus outbreak, China, Asia Pacific, World news, Japan
