The U.S. Intelligence Community has concluded that China concealed the extent of the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak in the country, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday.
A classified report submitted to the White House states that China intentionally lowered its reported number of coronavirus cases, according to three officials familiar with the matter. The officials did not indicate if the report estimates what China’s actual infection rate is.
The news comes a day after Dr. Deborah Birx, response coordinator for the White House Coronavirus Task Force, suggested that the U.S. response to the pandemic may not have been as effective as possible due to “missing” data from China.
“The medical community interpreted the Chinese data as, this was serious, but smaller than anyone expected,” Birx said at a press briefing. “Because, probably…we were missing a significant amount of the data, now that we see what happened to Italy and we see what happened to Spain.”
Unearthed posts show Heartland Dem candidate rallying in favor of child gender surgery: ‘Radical as it gets’
Democratic Socialists awarded $5.2M in inheritance dispute despite family’s objections
Five Police Officers Arrested and Fired After Abusing Flock Surveillance Cameras
Anti-Trump ‘Jeopardy!’ Host Kicks Hornets’ Nest, Triggers Trans Activists with Sarcasm
WATCH: Booker continues to reject SAVE Act despite bombshell NJ voter roll scandal
WATCH: Democrats admit when they’d eliminate the filibuster as SAVE Act fight heats up
Mamdani not called to speak at NYC funeral of Army sergeant killed in Iranian attack: report
Police search for gunman after Walmart employee shot during dispute in Pennsylvania
CBS Announces Replacement for Tony Romo After Arrest
Watch: African Who Invaded Spanish City Has Chilling Warning to the Rest of Europe
Former Latvian ‘Dancing with the Stars’ contestant arrested by ICE after violent criminal history revealed
18-Year-Old Woman Murdered in House Owned by Rep. Ayanna Pressley’s Husband
Hunter Biden Targets Donald Trump’s Grandchildren in Vulgar Rant
ICE lodges detainer on Salvadoran national, 18, accused of 2 fatal shootings in Houston
Socialist frontrunner in the hot seat after ‘Cancel Thanksgiving’ post emerges online
China could have prevented 95 percent of coronavirus infections if it had acted sooner to stem the outbreak, according to one study.
“I would urge every nation: Do your best to collect the data. Do your best to share that information,” Pompeo said. “We’re doing that.”
Senator Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) has repeatedly claimed that China was underreporting cases of coronavirus. Cotton argued in a January 28 letter to Pompeo and Health Secretary Alex Azar that the Trump administration should ban travel from China, in part because China was not reporting the extent of the epidemic.
“As of [Tuesday] morning, China has reported that the Wuhan coronavirus has infected more than 4,500 people and killed more than 100,” Cotton wrote. “But the real number is likely far higher — perhaps in the hundreds of thousands — given the Chinese Communist Party’s long history of covering up and minimizing these crises.”
Story cited here.
