Trump says coronavirus ‘originated’ from Wuhan lab

The deadly coronavirus originated from a virology lab in China’s Wuhan city before it spread across the world and claimed over 233,000 lives and shattered global economies, US President Donald Trump has said.

Trump’s comments undercut a rare public statement from hisown intelligence community on Thursday which stated no such assessment has beenmade by them whether the COVID-19 outbreak began through contact with infectedanimals or if it was the result of an accident at a laboratory in Wuhan.

   

Ever since the virus outbreak came to light in Wuhan inDecember last, speculation has been rife on whether the viral strain originatedfrom China’s premier Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) or from its nearbyHuanan Seafood Market. The US has launched an investigation into whether thedeadly virus “escaped” from the WIV.

At his daily White House briefing on the COVID-19 outbreakin the US on Thursday, Trump was asked by a reporter: “Have you seenanything at this point that gives you a high degree of confidence that theWuhan Institute of Virology was the origin of this virus?”

“Yes, I have. Yes, I have,” Trump said. Thepresident, however, refused to provide any details, except for saying thatinvestigations are on and it would be out soon.

Asked what gave him a high degree of confidence that thevirus originated from the WIV, he said, “I can’t tell you that. I’m notallowed to tell you that.”

In a rare public statement, the Office of the Director ofNational Intelligence, which oversees US spy agencies, said on Thursday itconcurs with the “wide scientific consensus” regarding COVID-19’snatural origins.

“The (intelligence community) will continue torigorously examine emerging information and intelligence to determine whetherthe outbreak began through contact with infected animals or if it was theresult of an accident at a laboratory in Wuhan,” the ODNI statement said.

It was the first clear response from American intelligencedebunking conspiracy theories – both from the US and China – that the virus isa biological weapon.

The US is the worst affected nation with a death toll ofover 63,000 and 1,069,400 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. The economicfallout is huge, with nearly four million more Americans filing for joblessbenefits last week.

Some 30.3 million people in the US have now filed forfinancial aid in the six weeks since the coronavirus outbreak began in thecountry.

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