China’s official death toll and infection numbers from a new coronavirus spiked dramatically on Thursday after authorities changed their counting methods, fuelling concern the epidemic is far worse than being reported.
Two top-ranking politicians overseeing the epicentre of the outbreak were also sacked, adding to questions over China's handling of the crisis, just hours after President
Xi Jinping claimed "positive results" in battling the outbreak.
The World Health Organization also quickly countered Chinese reassurances that the epidemic, which has now officially killed more than 1,350 people in
China, would peak in a matter of weeks.