Coronavirus: China purges regional leaders hours after spike in deaths and new cases
Political fallout from outbreak continues, with three more leaders sacked, as change in criteria leads to surge of cases
- Coronavirus latest updates
The number of deaths and infections caused by the coronavirus in China has risen dramatically after authorities changed the way they calculate the figures amid an ongoing purge of party officials in the stricken province of Hubei and in Hong Kong.
Figures released on Thursday morning showed that deaths in Hubei, the epicentre of the deadly outbreak, had increased by 242 and new confirmed cases rose by almost 15,000 – a jump of about a third on the total so far.
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