Timeline: How China reacted to the coronavirus 2:01–
(CNN) – The state of Missouri has sued the Chinese government and other important institutions in that country for the role they played in the pandemic of coronavirus and the effects it has had on the US entity.
Missouri accuses the country of covering up information, silencing whistleblowers and doing little to stop the spread of the disease, state Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced Tuesday.
At least 6,105 people had the virus in Missouri and at least 229 died, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University.
Eric Schmitt (Photographer: Andrew Harrer / Bloomberg)
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Schmitt, in his official role as Missouri attorney general, filed the civil suit in federal court in the eastern district of the state.
The lawsuit, the first of its kind, claims that “Chinese authorities misled the public, suppressed crucial information, arrested whistleblowers, denied person-to-person transmission in the face of mounting evidence, destroyed critical medical investigations, allowed millions of people they were exposed to the virus and even accumulated personal protective equipment, causing a global pandemic that was unnecessary and preventable. “
Legal experts have said the lawsuit faces an uphill battle because China is protected by sovereign immunity. CNN has contacted the Chinese government for comment.
The Missouri lawsuit alleges that while the Chinese medical community had evidence of person-to-person transmission of the virus, they did not inform the World Health Organization when they first reported the outbreak.
It also alleges that Chinese leaders did little to curb the spread of the virus and still allowed thousands of people to travel to and from Wuhan.
“In mid-January, around January 16, despite knowing the risks of doing so, Wuhan leaders organized an informal dinner for 40,000 residents, increasing the possible spread of the virus,” the lawsuit says. “The defendants allowed these massive public gatherings and the Wuhan mass exodus despite knowing the risks of covid-19, including the risk of person-to-person transmission.”
The complaint also describes how officials initially cracked down on medical professionals who released information about the virus, including Dr. Li Wenliang, who was accused by Wuhan police of spreading rumors after sharing information about a new disease with the group of alumni of medical school. Wenliang later died of the virus.
Missouri also alleges that China accumulated personal protective equipment while hiding the outbreak and that the small amounts they have released were “defective.”
Those, among other actions taken by Chinese officials, had a huge cost on human life and health and have led to “huge” economic shocks worldwide, according to demand.
“Before the pandemic, Missouri had one of its lowest unemployment rates in the past decade, but according to information, Missouri ‘s unemployment rate is now the highest since the Great Depression,” the lawsuit claims. “Responding to the pandemic has required closing businesses, interrupting ordinary production and commerce, and displacing workers.”
CNN’s Chris Boyette and Hira Humayun contributed to this report.
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