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A leaked database from a Chinese military-run university suggests the country substantially under-reported its coronavirus case count — heightening suspicions that Beijing is hiding the true scale of the outbreak.
The virus tracker leaked to Foreign Policy magazine logged at least 640,000 COVID-19 cases — far higher than the 80,000 infections China claims to have.
US officials have emphasized that a lack of reliable data is hindering modeling efforts.
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday ripped China for allegedly trying to hack into US research on the development of vaccines and treatments.
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Here’s what else we learned today:
New York crisis:
- A shocking photo taken inside a Manhattan homeless shelter shows maskless men curling up on a staircase or on the floor, mere inches from each other amid the outbreak.
- The image emerged as Mayor Bill de Blasio admitted today that only about 100 out of 3,333 homeless people approached during overnight subway shutdowns have remained in shelters after being rousted off the rails.
- And the mayor’s plan to reopen coronavirus-shuttered restaurants and bars was panned by proprietors as a half-baked idea with the potential to further starve cash-strapped establishments.
- On the upside, de Blasio hailed “a very good day,” with the numbers of new hospital admissions, patients in intensive care units, and the percentage of those testing positive for COVID-19 all going down.
People are seen crowding around the stairs at the Bellevue Men’s ShelterRe-opening:
- A group of lawmakers are begging New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to greenlight a safe reopening plan for beaches amid the pandemic.
- At least the Jersey Shore will be reopened in time for Memorial Day weekend, albeit with restrictions, NJ Gov. Phil Murphy announced.
- And in Wisconsin, barflies zoomed to their nearby watering holes just hours after the state’s Supreme Court blocked an extension of the coronavirus stay-at-home order.
In Washington:
- Whistleblower Rick Bright criticized the federal government’s response to the pandemic in testimony before the House. President Trump called Bright — who was removed from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority — a “disgruntled employee.”
- Administration officials also blamed an early shortfall of N95 masks on mismanagement after the 2009 swine flu pandemic under President Barack Obama, countering Bright’s claims that the US Department of Health and Human Services acted too slowly in securing masks.
- Republican Sen. Richard Burr will step down as Senate Intelligence Committee chairman amid a probe into his controversial stock sales ahead of the market crash caused by the pandemic.
- And Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s office says she was contacted by the FBI about stock sales her husband made early in the outbreak.
Research continues:
- The coronavirus is causing devastating damage to patients’ organs — particularly triggering kidney failure, a New York hospital study found.
- An alarming black-light video from Japan shows how quickly the virus can spread aboard a cruise ship or in a restaurant when just one person is infected.
Up in the air:
- An infectious disease expert says he caught the illness through his eyes on a flight to New Orleans that was “packed in like sardines.”
- A love-struck Pennsylvania man attempted to sneak into Germany to visit his girlfriend during travel lockdowns — by disguising himself as a janitor at the airport.
Meanwhile …
- Coronavirus-related construction work in New Jersey uncovered a stunning 124-year-old tile floor that had been covered up by icky vinyl.
- A UK nudist organization has reported a 100% increase in new members as more folks opt to go naked during quarantine.
- And here’s how Manhattan’s one-of-a-kind artist sanctuary is faring amid the pandemic.
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