Chinese scientist who published first covid sequence protests lab eviction

Virologist Zhang Yongzhen, the first scientist to publish a sequence of the covid-19 virus in China, was staging a sit-in protest after authorities locked him out of his lab (AP Photo/Dake Kang)

The first scientist to publish a sequence of the C=covid-19 virus in China was staging a sit-in protest after authorities locked him out of his lab.

Virologist Zhang Yongzhen wrote in an online post on Monday that he and his team were suddenly notified they were being evicted from their lab, the latest in a series of setbacks, demotions and ousters since he first published the sequence in early January 2020 without state approval.