Families of Wuhan Covid victims accuse China of blocking lawsuits

WUHAN

: Wuhan pensioner Zhong Hanneng endured every parents worst nightmare when

Covid-19

claimed her son in February, and — alongside other bereaved relatives — she wants to sue the local government. The families accuse the Wuhan and

Hubei

provincial governments of concealing the outbreak when it first emerged late last year, allowing Covid-19 to explode out of control.“They say the epidemic was a natural calamity.

But these serious outcomes are man-made,” said Zhong, 67. At least five lawsuits have been filed with

the Wuhan Intermediate Court

. Plaintiffs are each seeking around two million yuan ($295,000). But they have had their lawsuits abruptly rejected and dozens of others face pressure from authorities not to file, according to people involved. The court staff refused to comment.