Agency Reporter
CHINA’S President Xi Jinping on Monday visited health staff in Beijing treating patients infected with the new coronavirus, in a rare public appearance amid the outbreak.
Wearing a face mask, Xi had his temperature checked and urged “more decisive measures” to be taken.
Xi has kept a low profile and hasn’t visited Wuhan, the outbreak’s centre.
The death last week of a doctor in the city who tried to warn colleagues about the virus, but was targeted by authorities, sparked an outpouring of grief and anger on social media, much of it directed against Xi’s government.
“We want freedom of speech” was among the hashtags that trended but were quickly censored.
China’s leadership had already faced accusations of downplaying the severity of the virus – and initially trying to keep it a secret.
The government has admitted some “shortcomings and deficiencies” in its response, but the World Health Organisation (WHO) has praised its efforts to control the virus, including quarantines on a massive scale.
On Monday, a WHO expert team arrived in China to investigate the outbreak following nearly two weeks of negotiations with Beijing. The organisation now says the fatality rate for the virus appears to be about 2%.
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The Chinese leader on Monday visited Ditan hospital in Beijing, where coronavirus patients are being treated. He also took part in a video chat with medical workers in Wuhan.
Images carried by state media showed Xi wearing a mask and having his temperature checked. He was also pictured chatting to people clutching grocery bags and wearing masks outside a community centre, joking that they should probably not shake hands at this “special time”.
Xi has himself called the outbreak “a major test of China’s system and capacity for governance”.
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