A court in the US state of Missouri has found Chinese authorities liable for concealing information about the spread of the coronavirus and has imposed a fine of more than $24 billion, the New York Times reports.
The lawsuit was filed by the Missouri Attorney General’s Office in April 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic.
Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. ruled that “China misled the world about the dangers and scope of the coronavirus pandemic” and that it “engaged in monopolistic actions to hoard personal protective equipment,” the newspaper said, citing the ruling.
China’s actions prevented the United States from responding immediately to the pandemic and purchasing enough protective equipment for health workers, the ruling said.
The Chinese government will not recognize the ruling, Liu Pengyu, an official representative of the Chinese Embassy in Washington, told the New York Times.
