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China Knew: Spent Millions On COVID Tests In Summer 2019

Spending on PCR tests in China soared months before first COVID-19 cases revealed

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China Knew: Spent Millions On COVID Tests In Summer 2019

Spending on tests used to detect coronavirus in China’s Hubei Province soared in the months before official reports of COVID-19 first emerged, suggesting the virus was spreading in the northern summer of 2019, well before it was publicly acknowledged by the Chinese government.

The data, compiled by Australian cyber security outfit Internet 2.0, showed that the sale of polymerase chain reaction tests – used to detect the presence of specific viruses – jumped to 67.4 million yuan ($14.3 million) in 2019, from 36.7 million yuan in 2018, and 29.1 million in 2017.

“We have come to the conclusion that based on the data analysed it suggests the virus was highly likely to be spreading virulently in Wuhan, China as early as the summer of 2019 and definitely by the early autumn,” the report states.

The study, conducted by an open-source examination of contracts for PCR tests, also found “notable, significant and abnormal 2019 purchases of PCR equipment” in Wuhan by the People’s Liberation Army Airborne Army Hospital, The Wuhan Institute of Virology, the Wuhan University of Science and Technology and the Hubei Province Districts Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Wuhan Municipal Health Commission reported the first cluster of cases on December 31, 2019. On January 5, the World Health Organisation published its first advisory on the cases. Experts from the group didn’t travel to Wuhan until January 20, as it consulted Beijing over the issue.

The murky timeline about the origins of the outbreak have fuelled intense international speculation over China’s handling of the pandemic.

Australia’s call for an inquiry into the origins of the pandemic drew a swift diplomatic rebuke from China, setting up the deterioration of relations between the two countries.

Based on the research, Internet 2.0 concluded with “high confidence that the pandemic began much earlier than China informed the WHO about COVID-19,” according to the report.

The revelations about the increase in PCR test purchases were first reported by Sky News in September.

Internet 2.0, a cyber security firm that specialises in digital forensics and intelligence analysis, called for further investigation.

To confirm the hypothesis, Internet 2.0’s analysis compared the Hubei data to a data control sample drawn from across China, and found “the purchasing activity and trend in 2019 … significant because it goes against trend in 2019 comparatively to the preceding years of 2007-2018”.

The report also states that the increase in spending was not seen in traditionally high research spending months.

Several medical experts, however, said the Internet 2.0 report wasn’t enough information to draw such conclusions.

For one thing, PCR testing, which has been in broad use for several decades, has been growing in popularity as it has become a standard method to test for pathogens, according to one of the experts.

Read more on Sydney Morning Herald

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Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber, Has Been Diagnosed with Terminal Cancer

This follows his transfer to a medical facility in December

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The new comes from a letter he wrote:

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French President Emmanuel Macron Says Someone Who Refuses COVID Vaccine Is ‘Not a Citizen’

French president Macron’s desire to ‘piss off’ unvaccinated individuals triggers outrage

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French President Emmanuel Macron Says Someone Who Refuses COVID Vaccine Is ‘Not a Citizen’

French President Emmanuel Macron faced significant criticism for his comments claiming that he would like to “piss off” unvaccinated individuals. 

Macron spoke candidly during an interview with French newspaper Le Parisien, during which he said that he wanted to make life difficult for individuals who have not received a COVID-19 vaccine. The French “sanitary pass” has prompted a number of protests and stiff opposition while the country nears 75% full vaccination. 

“I really want to piss them off, and we’ll carry on doing this – to the end,” Macron said three months ahead of a presidential election. “I won’t send [unvaccinated people] to prison, so we need to tell them, from 15 January, you will no longer be able to go to the restaurant. You will no longer be able to go for a coffee, you will no longer be able to go to the theatre. You will no longer be able to go to the cinema.”

The French Parliament heard Macron’s comments during a debate over his proposed bill to tighten restrictions for unvaccinated individuals, leading to a swift and strong uproar in response. 

His opponents have labeled the comments “unworthy” of a president. 

“Even if one doesn’t share their choice, they have broken none of our country’s laws,” Marine Le Pen, Macron’s chief opponent in the upcoming election, told reporters late Tuesday. “He is continuing his policy of division, of pitting the French against one another.”

She later tweeted “A president shouldn’t say that…Emmanuel Macron is unworthy of his office.” 

Leftist politician Jean-Luc Melanchon described the remarks as an “astonishing confession,” according to the BBC

But Macron’s allies have defended the comments, with Stéphane Séjourné, a member of the European Parliament, arguing on Twitter that unvaccinated individuals have “bothered” the French by “forcing the rest of the population to endure restrictions.” 

Debate over Macron’s bill continue into Wednesday as opponents still seek to delay its passage. Some of his supporters claimed to have received death threats because they are backing the legislation, The New York Times reported. 

Read more on Fox News

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Boston Mayor Wu Relentlessly Heckled As New COVID-19 Restrictions Are Announced

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Boston Mayor Wu Relentlessly Heckled As New COVID-19 Restrictions Are Announced

Boston unveils the ‘Be Together’ initiative, requiring full vaccination for entry to restaurants, gyms, and sports arenas for anyone 12 and older. In March the mandate will phase-in for younger children.

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