The question is why are the ChiComs doing this.
CoupFlu, my arse...
Most likely to exercise and improve their public health civil defense response to novel pathogens of unknown origin for which they have no vaccines or drugs.
China has had a few bird flu epidemics that devastated poultry flocks, a swine fever epidemic that devastated hog farms, and a “near miss” with the first SARS virus, which was far more lethal than SARS 2, but which was less contagious.
In all those cases, identification and isolation of the sick was the means of breaking transmission.
Unrest is spreading and the Party’s trying to get ahead of it?