US: Missouri AG sues China over COVID-19 pandemic, demands billions as damages

Missouri's Attorney General Eric S Schmitt on Tuesday (local time) announced that he has filed a lawsuit in a District Court against China, holding it responsible for the coronavirus pandemic, besides demanding repayment of 'billions of dollars' the state has lost due to COVID-19.

"In this case, the State of Missouri seeks recovery for the enormous loss of life, human suffering, and economic turmoil experienced by all Missourians from the COVID-19 pandemic that has disrupted the entire world," the lawsuit copy reads.

"This civil action seeks to hold Defendants accountable for the extraordinary public-health crisis that they created and to allow the State of Missouri to recoup billions of dollars lost as a result of Defendants' actions and inactions," the lawsuit further reads.

An almost 50-page long lawsuit claims that China's Communist party suppressed information, arrested whistleblowers and denied the contagious nature of the 2019-20 coronavirus pandemic.

"During the critical weeks of the initial outbreak, Chinese authorities deceived the public, suppressed crucial information, arrested whistleblowers, denied human-to-human transmission in the face of mounting evidence, destroyed critical medical research, permitted millions of people to be exposed to the virus, and even hoarded personal protective equipment--thus causing a global pandemic that was unnecessary and preventable," the lawsuit further reads.

Describing the move historical Schmitt said: "In Missouri, the impact of the virus is very real -- thousands have been infected and many have died; families have been separated from dying loved ones; small businesses are shuttering their doors, and that living paycheck-to-paycheck are struggling to put food on their table."

According to the suit, "As of April 20, 2020, Missouri had more than 5,800 confirmed infections from COVID-19, and more than 177 Missourians had died, with these numbers increasing on a daily basis."

Meanwhile, the United States continues to record the highest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the world. Till Tuesday, over 8,00,000 cases have been recorded with at least 44,000 deaths, according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University.

( With inputs from ANI )