Scientists want to visit a series of caves and wildlife farming areas in the Enshi prefecture of Hubei province - six hours west of the city where Covid-19 was first reported.
According to the Washington Post, [see News (2)] the farms in the region were known to be thousands of wild animals download sold out in wet markets.
Their existence has produced the theory that farm animals acted as an intermediary for the virus between bats and humans.
But Chinese officials are refusing to give the WHO access to carry out their research.
Beijing has continually denied suggestions that COVID-19 first emerged in Chinese wet markets or was the result of lab leak, saying that it originated elsewhere.
The wildlife farms have been a source of interest after emerged that several wet markets where animals from the farms were being sold were banned from selling live animals in December 2019.
This came just days before the Chinese government first acknowledged that a new virus had been detected at a Wuhan market.
Local Chinese media reported that six wet markets in Enshi had been closed by March 2020 before the rest of the world had gone into lockdown.
A supply chain source told The Post that some wild animals sold in Wuhan 'had been sourced from Hubei province', including from Enshi.
It has been reported that some of the wildlife farms are located only about a mile from the entrance to the bat caves in Enshi.
The caves have also been visited by humans.
A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington could not confirm if bats or farm-raised wild animals in Enshi were ever tested for the virus.
News (2) to (9) / Reporters : Michael Standaert and Eva Dou, The Washington Post / Images : Web Screenshots
Hundreds of caves found in
Enshi including large karst cave systems
Hundreds of caves are spread throughout the mountains of Enshi prefecture, an agricultural corner of China's Hubei province. The most majestic, Tenglong, or "flying dragon," is one of China's largest karst cave systems, spanning 37 miles of passages that contain numerous bats.
Civets, ferret badgers and raccoon dogs were bred in Enshi
Nearby are small farms that collectively housed hundreds of thousands of wild mammals such as civets, ferret badgers and raccoon dogs before the pandemic, farm licenses show — animals that scientists say can be intermediate hosts for viruses to cross over from bats to humans.
The World Health Organization has requested access to China's wildlife farming areas such as Enshi, calling it a key step in the search for the origins of the coronavirus. Beijing has denied the requests.
News (3)
The Washington Post visits Enshi
in September 2021 to investigate covid origins
The Washington
Post made a rare trip in September 2021 to Enshi, six hours' drive west of
Wuhan, where the coronavirus was first detected.
A reporter observed human traffic
into Enshi caves, including domestic tourism, spelunking and villagers
replacing a drinking water pump inside a cave. Defunct wildlife farms sat as
close as one mile from the entrances.
Scientists briefed on The Post's
reporting said it documents a plausible pathway for how a coronavirus could
have spread from bats to other animals, then to Wuhan's markets.
News (4)
Enshi did not respond to faxed
questions on if anyone, any animal were tested for covi
Asked if bats, farmed animals and
local residents were tested for the coronavirus in Enshi, a spokesperson for
the Chinese Embassy in Washington said they could not verify the specific
situation at the moment, and said China banned the trade and consumption of
wild animals in February 2020. Enshi's forestry bureau did not respond to faxed
questions; two officials declined interview requests in person.
News (5)
Western Hubei home to at least
seven species of horseshoe bats
Western Hubei is home to at least
seven types of horseshoe bats, according to the Xishuangbanna Tropical
Botanical Garden, a research institute under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
One type, Rhinolophus affinis, has been found
farther south in China carrying a virus 96 percent
identical to SARS-CoV-2.
News (6)
Enshi’s wildlife farms shut down
in the pandemic
In the rolling land near the
caves, Enshi officials for years promoted wildlife farming to alleviate
poverty. Enshi accounted for 17 percent of Hubei wildlife farms shut down in the pandemic,
official announcements show. Authorities estimated that the 290 shuttered Enshi
farms had 450,000 to 780,000 animals.
News (7)
CCP refuses WHO access to bat
caves and farms as part of covid origins investigation
China's government and the WHO
say the likeliest origin of the pandemic is natural transmission through
wildlife. Yet little progress has been made in establishing a definitive
natural pathway from a bat to a Wuhan market — or for any competing theory, for
that matter — because of the Chinese government's refusal to grant
scientists access to bat caves and animal breeding farms.
News (8)
U.S. biologist expresses interest
in research work in Enshi
"We really need to find out
more about what viruses are circulating in those bats" in the Enshi caves,
said Michael Worobey, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Arizona.
"That kind of proximity of farmed animals and bats that could be carrying
coronaviruses is exactly the kind of thing we worry about."
Marc Eloit, head of pathogen
discovery at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, agrees that much more sampling
needs to be done in China, and specifically in these karst areas.
Eloit said he "would be very
interested" to obtain samples from bats and caves in Enshi, adding that
gathering bat guano could be a start.
News (9)
WIV’s field research in bat caves suspended since the pandemic
Beijing has been less than eager to find answers in Hubei, as
it touts its own theory that
the virus may have originated overseas. One foreign scientist who worked for
years with the Wuhan Institute of Virology, and who spoke on the condition of
anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, said the institute's field research in
bat caves has been suspended since the pandemic began.
See also: https://staygate.blogspot.com/2021/10/chinese-bid-database-covid-highly.html, https://staygate.blogspot.com/2021/10/french-study-covid-did-not-originate-in.html
News (10)
Xi Jinping has a strange face? Announcement of the "two super obvious" lines on his face during his speech and the super miserable meaning is exposed
Image : When Xi Jinping delivered a speech at the "Conference to Commemorate the 110th Anniversary of the Revolution of 1911", the "broken zygomatic lines" were clearly visible. (European News Agency)
The General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Xi Jinping made a speech at the "Memorial of the 110th Anniversary of the Revolution of 1911." As a result, many netizens pointed out that his face was "weird" and found two strange marks on his nose. In fact, these two wrinkles have the name "broken zygomatic lines." Xi Jinping already has these two wrinkles on his face, but they are particularly obvious in the photos taken during this conversation. In physiognomy, the "broken zygomatic pattern" means that people are prone to lose power and property, and are unable to keep their careers and wealth in their hands. This is the face of losing money and losing luck.
When Xi Jinping made a statement a few days ago, he was found that his face looked different from before. Some people think that the recent internal and external troubles have caused Xi Jinping's anxiety and swelling of his face. Others believe that the two wrinkles on Xi Jinping's face are traces of wearing a mask.
After Xi Jinping’s photo was taken when he was speaking on the PO, a heated discussion arose. Some netizens with a little understanding of the face pointed out that the two wrinkles are "broken zygomatic lines," also known as Indian lines and cat lines. Netizens agreed they mean that most people do not have this kind of pattern, and even if they do, they will not be as obvious as Xi Jinping.
Looking at the past photos of Xi Jinping, these two "broken zygomatic lines" are almost invisible in many photos, and some of the photos are vaguely visible, but they are not obvious and will not make people particularly notice. When Xi gave a speech at the "Commemorative Meeting of the 110th Anniversary of the Revolution of 1911," the "broken zygomatic lines" were clearly visible.
According to investigations, "broken zygomatic lines" are the two wrinkles that extend from the eye to the cheekbone. They are also called "broken wealth lines". In addition to making people look insane, they are also classified as bad wealth facial features in physiognomy. People who think that there is this kind of pattern are easy to lose power and property, and cannot keep the career and wealth in their hands.
Facial science also believes that people with broken zygomatic lines do not abide by the rules, are usually selfish, and serve real interests. Especially when they are frustrated, they are easy to be ungrateful, put all the responsibility on others, and they will doubt and resent the past. Graceful people. For those in power, if the cheekbones have broken zygomatic lines, their careers may decline significantly in middle age, and they may also encounter subordinates' rebellion and betrayal.
Ref: https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/3700825
News (11)
Gao Fu: Persist on a lasting battle strategy to exterminate SARS-CoV-2 variants
On 12 October 2021, CCP's China CDC Director Gao Fu was interviewed in a video on Weibo. He was questioned when CCP China could re-open her borders since the National Health Commission is persisting on a "zero covid" clearance strategy and this strategy is said to have enabled China to "win" the pandemic.
Gao Fu said the issue of re-opening national borders is a sensitive one since many Chinese are reluctant to get vaccinated and oppose CCP SARS-CoV-2 (covi) vaccination. He admitted that in November 2020, he spoke about rejecting vaccination as there are many problems about the CCP covi vaccines. However, he argues that by August 2021, it is not right to oppose vaccination anymore.
Gao Fu said the CCP should aim at getting 85% of China's population to be vaccinated by January 2022 while engaging on a lasting battle strategy to exterminate covi variants. This strategy covers masking, sanitizing, safe distancing, vaccinating and developing drugs and therapies that are efficient against the covi variants.
2.2 billion Chinese under CCP's control have been vaccinated.
Video: http://www.minhangshi.com/m/h5/detail/9979555
News (12)
Thailand announced that it will open entry to vaccinated tourists from China and other countries, and quarantine-free
According to Thailand’s headline news report, at 8.30 pm of 11 October 2021, Thai Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, General Prayut, delivered an important televised speech. He stated that Thailand will analyze the lifting of tourist quarantine measures on 1 November 2021 from countries with a low risk of the epidemic, complete full-dose vaccination, undergo RT-PCR testing in the countries of origin and arrivals at the airport in Thailand, and then travel to various parts of Thailand as normal.
Prayut stated that it has ordered the COVID-19 Epidemic Management Centre and the Ministry of Health to discuss the list of countries with low epidemic risk. Initially, at least 10 countries will be drawn up, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, China, Singapore, etc., and the follow-up will be in December and 2022. In August, it was discussed to increase the list of low-risk countries.
In addition, Prayut revealed that it will also analyze that from 1 December 2021, it will allow drinking in the stores and allow entertainment venues to resume operations on the premise of adhering to hygiene prevention and control measures, in order to stimulate the tourism industry and revitalize the entertainment service industry.
Although these decisions are risky or the relaxation of measures will definitely lead to an increase in the number of infections in the short term, it is necessary to pay close attention to the situation and respond well. Prayut said that it is necessary to firmly grasp the golden period at the end of the year because after two consecutive years of epidemic, if the golden opportunity is allowed to drain, the people may not be able to bear it anymore.
Prayut also stated that since the announcement of the "120-day nation-building" strategy in June, all parties have done their best to speed up the procurement of vaccines and strive for opportunities with other countries to deliver vaccines to Thailand. The number of vaccines delivered has immediately increased by a full three times, from 5. The monthly dose of 4 million doses increased to 12 million doses in July, 14 million doses in August, and now more than 20 million doses have been received in a single month. It is expected that a total of 170 million doses of vaccine will be purchased by the end of the year and far beyond the original target number.
Prayut also said that Thailand is currently one of the 10 countries with the fastest vaccination rate in the world. The vaccination rate in May was 80,000 doses/day, while the current vaccination rate has reached 700,000 doses/day, sometimes even more than 1 million doses. In his speech, Prayut expressed his gratitude to the medical staff, staff of various positions and the people of the whole country for their response and cooperation to the "120-day nation-building strategy".
News (13)
Foreign media: After the epidemic becomes normal, what will the aviation industry look like in the future?
According to Business World, economist Andrew J. Masigan said that in terms of total losses, commercial aviation is the industry most affected by the epidemic. Like most other industries, COVID-19 has changed the competitive landscape of the aviation industry. It also changed the way people fly. What changes will happen to the aviation industry over time?
Singapore Changi Airport consultants said that passengers will pay more attention to hygiene and disinfection, and carpets will be replaced by white marble floors to better see dust and dirt. The airport will also enforce hand disinfection at each contact point, install ultraviolet disinfection lamps on the luggage conveyor belt, and use the testing center and vaccination center as permanent facilities at the airport. Non-contact boarding will become the new normal.
In terms of passenger traffic, analysts estimate that only 80% of business travel will resume by 2024 due to the popularity of online office and remote meetings. In the next three years, leisure tourism and family visits will promote economic recovery. But the downside is that most leisure travelers travel in economy class, and they usually buy tickets at a great discount. Airlines that rely on business travelers will still suffer losses.
This will force airlines to re-examine their fleet and destinations. Airlines switched from Boeing 787 and A380 to A350 or Boeing 777. At the same time, the airline will also reconfigure its cabin layout to cope with the decrease in business travelers and the increase in leisure travelers. At the simplest level, lower business class demand may mean smaller business class.
For passengers, fares may rise after the normalization of the epidemic is restored. In 2020 alone, the aviation industry has accumulated $180 billion in debt, which accounts for half of the industry’s revenue. These costs need to be compensated, and increasing the price of air tickets is one of the measures taken by airlines.
The demand for air cargo services will also continue to increase. Before the epidemic, the freight industry usually accounted for 12% of the industry's total revenue. However, as e-commerce entered the mainstream, the demand for air cargo has tripled. A recent survey showed that freight revenue accounted for 49% of airlines' total revenue last year.
In response to the high demand for air cargo, airlines are now considering changing passenger cargo to improve their cargo capacity. This will become a growing trend in the aviation industry, especially when most airlines have reduced their fleets.
The aviation industry has undergone tremendous changes, and airlines and airports need to be flexible to survive. Although the tourism industry in some parts of the world is slowly returning to normal with the increase in vaccination efforts, it still takes three years to recover.
At the end of all this, there is still a glimmer of hope. As inefficient aircraft are forced to retire, air travel will become more environmentally friendly and efficient. More importantly, the airlines that have survived the epidemic will become more streamlined.
News (14)
Cleared high-risk areas in Heilongjiang Province
Reporter : Shi Yifu / Editor : Huang Yuhan / http://www.chinanews.com/sh/2021/10-12/9584148.shtml
The Heilongjiang Provincial Health Commission issued a message on 12 October 2021 that at 0-24 o'clock on the 11th, there was no new report of covid epidemic information in Heilongjiang Province. High-risk areas in Heilongjiang Province are cleared and there are currently 9 medium-risk areas.
15 local confirmed cases were cured and discharged on the same day, including 14 in Bayan County, Harbin City, 1 in Xiangfang District, and 1 local asymptomatic infection in Bayan County, Harbin City, was lifted from isolation on the same day for medical observation.
As of 12 October 2021, Heilongjiang Province currently has 4 imported confirmed cases, 41 local confirmed cases, and 4 local asymptomatic infections.
From 12 October, the Jinyuan Jiayuan Community, Bayan Town, Bayan County, Harbin and the Sub-district Office of Xinglong Forestry Bureau Co., Ltd., Xinglong Town, have been adjusted to low-risk areas. High-risk areas in Heilongjiang Province are cleared, and there are currently 9 medium-risk areas.
News (15)
The situation in the Taiwan Strait is weird. Just as Xi called for peaceful reunification, PLA was conducting beach-grabbing and landing exercises near Taiwan
Reporter : Liu Minghuan / Editor : Xia He / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/10/12/a103240614.html
Xi Jinping recently called for peaceful reunification but the CCP army PLA conducted beach-grabbing and landing exercises in the southern waters of Fujian close to Taiwan, making the situation in the Taiwan Strait even more bizarre.
On 9 October, at the "Memorial of the 110th Anniversary of the Revolution of 1911" held in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Xi Jinping said when talking about the Taiwan issue, "China adheres to the basic policy of peaceful reunification, one country, two systems, and adheres to the one-China principle and the 1992 consensus. "
On 10 October, the Chinese Communist Party’s CCTV National Defense Military Channel posted a video on its official Weibo saying that a compound brigade of the 73rd Army had a beach landing actual combat exercise. It also claimed that the exercise explored the combat mode of long-distance ferry landings of light boats and used no human equipment, laser engagement system, "all-round tempering of the army's ability to land on the beach."
According to the report, the brigade will organize multiple teams of different professionals, including boatmen, assaultmen, and blasters, to rush to the beach in multiple waves to perform combat missions at different stages.
The video also refers to the on-site integration of multiple types of unmanned equipment, and the use of unmanned boats and unmanned aerial vehicles to drop explosives to effectively break through various obstacles on the beach. During the period, the troops were divided into multiple routes, using methods such as "surprise blasting, outflanking" and other methods to occupy multiple defensive positions at the same time.
In addition, the CCTV website of the Communist Party of China also reported on 8 October that the combined battalion of a certain amphibious heavy combined brigade of the 73rd Army has recently launched a mountain offensive combat drill in southern Fujian. "The fire strike group launched fire suppression on the target area, the barrier-breaking squad quickly broke through the barriers, and the armored assault group launched an assault in the depth...the whole process of the drill was actual combat, and the new tactics of mountain offensive were continuously explored." The report did not reveal the specific date and time of this mountain offensive combat drill.
Xi Jinping called for the peaceful reunification of Taiwan but the Communist Army conducted actual combat exercises on beach landings, which made the situation in the Taiwan Strait even more bizarre.
The CCP has continued to exert military and political pressure on Taiwan in recent years. Recently, the military intimidation of Taiwan has become even greater. In four days, nearly 150 fighters of various types have been sent to invade Taiwan’s air defense identification zone.
The international community has expressed serious concern over this. The United States, Britain, Japan, and Australia all issued statements criticizing Beijing for exerting military pressure on Taiwan.
The United States condemns Beijing's military intimidation and provocation against Taiwan and threats to regional peace and stability. It emphasizes that its commitment and support to Taiwan are rock solid and will continue to provide Taiwan with the weapons and equipment needed for its defense.
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