Wuhan performed 6.5 million coronavirus tests in just 9 days, state media reports

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Wuhan performed 6.5 million coronavirus tests in just 9 days, state media reports

Wuhan’s ambitious citywide nucleic acid testing drive came after six new cases emerged in a residential community earlier this month — the first time local infections were reported following the city’s emergence from its months-long lockdown in April.
From May 15 to May 23, swab test samples were collected from more than nine million residents, China’s state-broadcaster CCTV reported, accounting for more than 80% of the city’s total population of 11 million.

Nucleic acid tests work by detecting the virus’ genetic code, and can be more effective at detecting the infection, particularly in the early stages, than tests which examine a body’s immune response, though the latter are easier to conduct.
The mass testing identified 198 asymptomatic cases — people who carry the virus but do not show symptoms, according to the state-run Health Times.

The speed and scope of Wuhan’s testing campaign — hailed as a “10-day battle” by local authorities — appears to have equaled or eclipsed the testing ability of many countries, including that of the United States.

On Friday alone, Wuhan conducted 1.47 million tests, according to CCTV.

In the US, the highest daily number of coronavirus tests conducted across the entire country currently stands at 416,183, according to Johns Hopkins University, which draws on data from the Covid-19 Tracking Project.

In total, the United States has performed 14,131,277 coronavirus tests since the pandemic began, according to the latest data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, that number also includes antibody tests performed in some states, which aren’t used to diagnose current infections but to indicate whether someone has been exposed to the virus in the past.

In Wuhan, sampling booths were set up in neighborhoods across the city, with residents in face masks lining up to take their swab tests. On Saturday, authorities set up 231 extra testing booths for people who had not been able to make the earlier tests, according to the Changjiang Daily, the official Communist Party mouthpiece in Wuhan.

Health care workers also paid door-to-door visits to some elderly and disabled residents to take their samples, the Changjiang Daily reported.

According to Chinese news outlet Caixin, in order to test quickly and widely, Wuhan’s health authorities combined some of the samples taken from multiple individuals together and tested them in a single tube — a method known as “pool testing.”

If a tube of pooled samples was tested positive, extra tests would be carried out on each individual’s sample separately to find the positive sample, the Caixin report said. It was unclear from the report what percentage of samples in Wuhan had been pooled for testing.

CNN has reached out to the Wuhan Health Commission for comment on the pooled sampling procedures but has not heard back.

In April, scientists in Germany proposed the pooling of coronavirus samples as a strategy to boost testing capacity when large numbers of asymptomatic people need to be screened, according to their research published in the medical journal The Lancet.

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Defiant adviser adds to UK’s faltering pandemic response

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Defiant adviser adds to UK’s faltering pandemic response

Mr Cummings was a key figure in the Johnson government’s bid to shut down Britain’s parliament last year, a move deemed unlawful by the country’s Supreme Court. Since then Mr Johnson has won a parliamentary majority to pursue his policies on Brexit and other matters, but it is telling that this week nearly two dozen MPs from the governing Conservative Party have demanded that Mr Cummings step down.

Many of them clearly feel he has power beyond that appropriate for an unelected offical and, more importantly, that his power is impinging upon their own. Earlier this year Mr Cummings was instrumental in ending Sajid Javid’s tenure as Britain’s treasurer in a row over ministerial autonomy.

Australians do not have to look too far for an analogy to this state of affairs. One of the chief factors in backbench and ministerial disaffection with Tony Abbott was the frustration that Peta Credlin had become a gatekeeper to the prime minister’s office and a rival centre of power.

In a crisis such as that presented by the current pandemic, swift decision-making and clear leadership is crucial, but so is the role of the legislature as a check on the impulses of the executive. Above all, those who wield power – especially when they do so largely behind the scenes – cannot be exempted from accountability for their actions.

When the Johnson government’s leading medical adviser Professor Neil Ferguson and Scotland’s chief medical officer Catherine Calderwood were exposed for breaching lockdown restrictions, both eventually apologised for their actions and resigned.

His supporters may argue that Mr Cummings has a far more important place in the running of the country than either of them. Yet in arguing, as he has, that his is an exceptional case, he has once again assumed the role of examiner and examinee and inevitably given the impression that he is beyond reproach. That is not a healthy position for anyone in a democracy to occupy.

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Australia’s national cabinet has allowed for welcome consultation between elected leaders across party lines. But failures overseas should remind us to guard against the use of this crisis by federal or state governments to avoid or curtail parliamentary process and scrutiny.

The Herald editor Lisa Davies writes a weekly newsletter exclusively for subscribers. To have it delivered to your inbox, please sign up here.

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How Can I Get Involved With Reconciliation Week Amid COVID-19 Restrictions

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How Can I Get Involved With Reconciliation Week Amid COVID-19 Restrictions

A week of events spent with brothers and sisters, aunties and uncles. Festivals, workshops, gatherings and learnings.

A time to share Indigenous culture with the rest of Australia. A date in the calendar dedicated to nurturing relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other Australians.

This is what National Reconciliation Week (NRW) has been about for the past two decades.

And while COVID-19 means community events have been cancelled, the key purposes of NRW remain the same, even if the celebration looks different.

“It’s a great time to share our culture with non-Aboriginal people and educate others about the importance of our culture and its central role in Australian society,” Dr Andrew Peters, senior lecturer in Indigenous Studies and Tourism at Swinburne University told HuffPost Australia.

So what is the history and how can you get involved this year?

Here’s what you need to know:

What Is Reconciliation Week?

Starting on Wednesday May 27, NRW will mark 20 years since 250,000 Australians walked across the Sydney Harbour Bridge and bridges in other cities around the country, to ‘bridge the gap’ between Indigenous Australians and non-Indigenous Australians.

Dr Peters, who is a proud Wurundjeri and Yorta Yorta man, said it’s an important event all Aussies should know about.

“We’re all on Aboriginal land, and it all contains story and history that we can all connect to. This isn’t a culture that was imported – it’s been a part of this land from the beginning,” he explained.

“It belongs to the land we now call Australia, so all of us are connected to it today.”

It’s important to know that the next chapter of Australia’s history can only happen if we understand the truth of our past and while many of these truths are hard to accept, many are stories of resilience, triumph and Indigenous excellence.

“There are some terrible parts of our history, but far more wonderful parts that shape who we are today. Reconciliation Week is a great time for Australians to start, continue, or strengthen their own journey of learning that the world’s oldest living culture is right here, and a part of us all. I think if all Australians look at the land as something to work with, and not on, these connections can start for anyone.”

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – JULY 13: An earth oven is dug up at Hyde Park on July 13, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia each year to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC is celebrated not only in Indigenous communities, but by Australians from all walks of life. (Photo by Jenny Evans/Getty Images)

How Will We Celebrate Amid COVID-19?

You can still be involved in Reconciliation Week even in a pandemic, NITV host Karla Grant told HuffPost Australia.

“While we can’t have the huge gatherings and events that we’d otherwise have during this week, we can still take part and get behind the many digital offerings happening online,” she said.

“We can find other ways of educating, creating greater awareness and understanding about the plight of Indigenous Australians and how we can all unite and work together as a nation to improve the lives of our First Peoples.”

Starting Monday and through until Mabo Day on June 3, NITV has a dedicated slate of coverage to celebrate Reconciliation Week 2020 including special episodes of The Point and Living Black which will explore how, 20 years on, COVID-19 has brought a new dimension to the event.

“As this year’s National Reconciliation Week theme says, we are In this together,” said Reconciliation Australia’s Chief Executive Officer, Karen Mundine.

“That theme is resonating now in ways we could not have foreseen but it reminds us whether in a crisis or in reconciliation, we are all in this together!”



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RNC Accused Of Attempting To Monetize Memorial Day With Trump Shop Tweet

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RNC Accused Of Attempting To Monetize Memorial Day With Trump Shop Tweet



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The Republican National Committee’s attempt to hawk Trump 2020 campaign merchandise on Memorial Day did not go over well.

The Republican National Committee on Monday sparked anger and was accused of attempting to monetize Memorial Day after it posted this tweet:

The RNC drew stinging backlash from Twitter users after it promoted a “HUGE” Memorial Day sale on President Donald Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign website. It also offered a 25% discount.

The RNC has faced backlash before for attempting to hawk campaign merchandise on celebrated days. But for the vast majority of people who responded to its latest post, the sale on the day honoring fallen service members was a step too far: