Wuhan

Fang is one of several so-called citizen journalists who disappeared after sharing videos of scenes in Wuhan, the epicentre of the pandemic.

After disappearing in February 2020, he was sentenced to three years in jail at a secret trial in Wuhan, sources said.

He was released on Sunday and is in good health, they added.

Fang is now back home in Wuhan. The BBC could not reach his family for comment.

Jiangxia district residents have been ordered to stay inside their homes or compounds for three days after four asymptomatic Covid cases were detected.

China follows a "zero Covid" strategy, including mass testing, strict isolation rules and local lockdowns.

This has resulted in far fewer deaths than in many other countries.

But the strategy is facing growing opposition as people and businesses continue to face the strain of restrictions.

In Wuhan, a city of 12 million people, regular testing uncovered two asymptomatic cases two days ago.

The long-awaited probe comes after months of negotiations between the WHO and Beijing.

A group of 10 scientists is set to interview people from research institutes, hospitals and the seafood market linked to the initial outbreak.

Covid-19 was first detected in Wuhan in central China in late 2019.

The team's arrival on Thursday morning coincides with a resurgence of new coronavirus cases in the north of the country, while life in Wuhan is relatively back to normal.

Zhang Zhan was found guilty of "picking quarrels and provoking trouble", a frequent charge against activists.

The 37-year-old former lawyer was detained in May, and has been on hunger strike for several months. Her lawyers say she is in poor health.

Zhang is one of several citizen journalists who have run into trouble for reporting on Wuhan.

There is no free media in China and authorities are known to clamp down on activists or whistleblowers seen as undermining the government's response to the outbreak.

Beijing has been reluctant to agree to an independent inquiry and it has taken many months of negotiations for the WHO to be allowed access to the city.

The virus is thought to have come from a market in the city selling animals.

But the search for the source has led to tensions, notably with the US.

President Donald Trump's administration has accused China of trying to conceal the initial outbreak.

What is the aim of the investigation?

The plan appears to be in its early stages, with all districts in Wuhan told to submit details as to how testing could be done within 10 days.

It comes after Wuhan, where the virus first emerged, recorded six new cases over the weekend.

Prior to this, it had seen no new cases at all since 3 April.

Wuhan, which was in strict lockdown for 11 weeks, began re-opening on 8 April.

The students were welcomed by Caretaker Minister, Ralph Regenvanu and other officials in Port Vila.

The students were evacuated from Wuhan, China and they completed their 14 day quarantine period in Darwin, Australia.

The Vanuatu Government expressed gratitude to the Australian Government for evacuating the students evacuated from Wuhan.

Photo Foreign Affairs Ministry Facebook 

Varun Kapoor said misinformation about the deadly coronavirus is spreading as fast as the disease.

He said an epidemic of fake news is appearing online and people need to be cautious about what they hear and read on social media.

"It's not like a complete lockdown. I still go out, take my regular afternoon walks for an hour and come back to my dormitory. I go for regular shopping."

"There's this misconception. I think the media has painted Wuhan as zombieland - that is not actually the case," he said.

According to the Vanuatu Foreign Affairs Ministry, the students are onboard a special charter flight.

The students will be kept under quarantine in Darwin for 14 days before they can return home to Vanuatu.

The Ministry has thanked the Australian Government for providing seats for them on the flight.

Wuhan is the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak.

The death toll in china has reached 811.

The number of confirmed infections rose to 37,198, according to China’s National Health Commission.