China Raises Coronavirus Death Toll in Wuhan By 50 Percent

China has revised its official death toll from the coronavirus, raising the number of fatalities attributed to the pandemic by more than a third.

According to CNN, Officials in Wuhan, the original epicenter of the virus that was first reported late last year, added 1,290 coronavirus deaths to the city’s toll on Friday. They also added 325 confirmed cases to the city’s tally as well.

The total number of cases recorded in the city now stands at 50,333, with 3,869 deaths. The previous toll released was 2,579 — so the revised figure marks a 50% increase in the number of deaths in the city due to coronavirus. Meanwhile, before the revision, China’s National Health Commission reported 3,342 deaths nationally

Officials explained that the deaths had initially gone uncounted for various reasons in the earliest stages of the pandemic, as some people died at home, overwhelmed medics were focused on treating cases rather than reporting deaths and due to a delay in collecting figures from various government and private organizations.

Chinese officials claim that the figures had been revised to show “accountability to history, to the people and the victims,” as well as to ensure “open and transparent disclosure of information and data accuracy.”