Lockdown may stay for months until new cases fall below 1,000 a day as chief medic makes Game of Thrones - The Sun

THE coronavirus lockdown could stay in place for months until the number of new cases falls below 1,000 a day - as the chief medical officer warned: "Winter is coming." 

Professor Chris Whitty made the chilling Games of Thrones reference as the number of new daily cases jumped to 6,032 from 4,076.

⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates

6

Britain's coronavirus lockdown could last months - as Professor Chris Whitty warned a second peak could be worse than the firstCredit: London News Pictures

6

Ministers want the coronavirus daily case rate to be below 1,000 before easing lockdown measuresCredit: PA:Press Association

6

6

He warned: "It's not just in Game Of Thrones that winter is always coming.

"The winter is always worse than summer, spring and autumn for health services."

Professor Whitty also hinted a second peak could be worse than the first as the UK death toll topped 26,000.

He also said the eradication of coronavirus is "technically impossible".

Prof Whitty warned a video conference hosted by Gresham College: "Covid-19 is a very long way from finished and eradication is technically impossible for this disease."

It comes as ministers want the daily case figure to be in the hundreds before easing any lockdown measures.

According to the Daily Telegraph, some ministers were concerned after seeing Germany’s infection rate increase after easing its lockdown.

The total number of cases in the UK has topped 171,000 and Britain has not experienced a three-figure case rise since March 23.

SECOND PEAK?

However, it is worth noting Britain is carrying out more tests compared to the last time cases were below a thousand, so reaching that target may be difficult.

According to the Guardian, one Downing Street source said the government is reluctant to lift the lockdown until the number of new daily infections was lower than 5,000 - the same number used by Germany.

Meanwhile, a crucial new ‘track and trace’ plan to beat coronavirus is still weeks away after it emerged the current number of cases is far too high.

For track and trace to work, ministers believe the number who currently have the virus will need to be reduced to 100,000 first, The Sun can reveal.

At the moment, the estimated number is still running at 350,000, according to the King’s College London tracker.

Without the track and trace scheme in place, it is likely the Cabinet will decide the full lockdown will have to stay in place beyond the next review point on May 7 in nine days time.

TRACK AND TRACE

Boris Johnson tweeted this morning an appeal for Brits to stay on track and work together to beat the bug.

He said: "I can confirm that we are past the peak of this disease. We are past the peak and we are on the downward slope.

"And we have so many reasons to be hopeful for the long term. But we can only defeat coronavirus by our collective discipline and working together."

It comes after Mr Johnson last night declared the UK has passed its coronavirus peak - as he promised to unveil a masterplan to exit lockdown next week.

The PM’s three-pronged blueprint will reveal how the economy can be restarted, children will be able to return to school and people can travel to work again safely.

Mr Johnson insisted the virus is still too widespread for any relaxation of the tough restrictions, declaring that “dates and times will very much depend on the data”.

And last night, he joined in the Clap for Carers from outside No10. He also:

The latest data yesterday revealed new cases have more than halved since the numeric peak on Good Friday, and the new daily death toll of 674 has also halved since then.

While the toll stands at 26,771, it was still well below the worst-case scenario of 500,000, the PM argued.

The PM also insisted the key to when the lockdown will end will be what effect actions have on the rate of the virus’s transmission — known as R, for reproduction.

It is entirely plausible for a second wave to actually be more severe than the first if it is not mitigated.

Prof Chris Whitty

Prof Whitty echoed Mr Johnson’s statement on the R rate – currently between 0.6 and 0.9 – and said we need to keep it below one to ensure we don’t get another killer outbreak.

He said: “We need to make sure that R does not go back above one. Because if not we will go back to a second wave.

“It is entirely plausible for a second wave to actually be more severe than the first if it is not mitigated.”

He added: “It’s not just in Game of Thrones that winter is always coming...
“The winter is always worse than summer, spring and autumn for health services.”

Give now to The Sun's NHS appeal

BRITAIN’s four million NHS staff are on the frontline in the battle against coronavirus.

But while they are helping save lives, who is there to help them?

The Sun has launched an appeal to raise £1MILLION for NHS workers. The Who Cares Wins Appeal aims to get vital support to staff in their hour of need.

We have teamed up with NHS Charities Together in their urgent Covid-19 Appeal to ensure the money gets to exactly who needs it.

The Sun is donating £50,000 and we would like YOU to help us raise a million pounds, to help THEM. No matter how little you can spare, please donate today here: www.thesun.co.uk/whocareswinsappeal.

Mr Johnson said yesterday: “I can confirm today for the first time that we are past the peak of this disease, and on the downward slope.

“Or rather, we’ve come under what could have been a vast peak, as though we’ve been going through some huge alpine tunnel and we can now see the sunlight and pasture ahead of us.”

“It is vital that we do not now lose control and run slap into a second and even bigger mountain.”

Calling for another huge heave of “collective discipline”, the PM said: “I know we can do it, because we did it, we’ve shown we can do it, in phase one of this disease.

“This country came together in a way few of us have seen in our lifetimes.”

THREESY DOES IT

Boris to reveal three-pronged 'roadmap' back to normality next week

BUM DEAL

Lag who horrified PM after stuffing Kinder Egg up his own bum gets longer sentence

FUR-LOW

Duncan Bannatyne quits lockdown for £3m Portugal villa after furloughing 2.5k staff

VACCINE HOPE

Scientists to find virus vaccine 'by summer' with Brits at front of queue

DANCE MACABRE

Sick vid shows nurses dancing as they carry ‘corpse’ of coronavirus victim

Covid-19’s R rate was at three when the lockdown was ordered on March 23.

If R is higher than one, it means any infected person will pass on the virus to more than one other — and the bug could spread rapidly again in a fresh outbreak.

But if R can be kept under one, the disease should eventually fade away as not enough new people are infected to sustain it.

6

Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty, right, warned a second peak could be worseCredit: PA:Press Association

6

The PM’s three-pronged blueprint will reveal how the economy can be restartedCredit: crown copyright

CORONAVIRUS CRISIS - STAY IN THE KNOW

Don't miss the latest news and figures - and essential advice for you and your family.

To receive The Sun's Coronavirus newsletter in your inbox every tea time, sign up here.
To follow us on Facebook, simply 'Like' our Coronavirus page.

Get Britain's best-selling newspaper delivered to your smartphone or tablet each day - find out more.

Boris Johnson rules out austerity to balance the books if coronavirus crisis damages the economy

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiSWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRoZXN1bi5jby51ay9uZXdzLzExNTIzODE3L2Nvcm9uYXZpcnVzLWxvY2tkb3duLW1vbnRocy1jYXNlcy_SAU1odHRwczovL3d3dy50aGVzdW4uY28udWsvbmV3cy8xMTUyMzgxNy9jb3JvbmF2aXJ1cy1sb2NrZG93bi1tb250aHMtY2FzZXMvYW1wLw?oc=5

2020-05-01 09:08:58Z
52780758827081

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin tests positive for coronavirus - Metro.co.uk

Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin told President Vladimir Putin that he had coronavirus in a video call (Picture: EPA)

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin told President Vladimir Putin on Thursday that he had been diagnosed with the new coronavirus and was temporarily stepping down to recover.

Mishustin, 54, suggested that First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov serve as acting prime minister in his absence. Putin, who was listening on a televised video conference, sighed when he heard the news, wished Mishustin a speedy recovery and said he agreed with the proposed replacement.

Mishustin, who has been one of the main coordinators of Russia’s response to the new coronavirus, is the first high-ranking Russian official to publicly say they have the virus. He broke the news hours after the number of confirmed cases of the virus in Russia surged past the 100,000 mark.

Mishustin said: ‘I have found out that the coronavirus tests I had done returned with a positive result. I need to self-isolate, and follow doctors’ instructions. This is necessary for the safety of my colleagues.’

Mishustin is the first high-ranking Russian official to publicly say they have the virus (Picture: Getty)

Coronavirus latest news and updates

Mishustin said he would remain in contact with members of the government and Putin by phone and video conference despite his condition.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Putin said: ‘What is happening to you can happen to anyone. When you get to the hospital, call me. I’ll be waiting for your call.’

The broadcast of the meeting, which showed the men on split screens, lasted just under four minutes.

Mishustin will spend his self-isolation period at a hospital under the supervision of doctors, his spokesman Boris Belyakov said, without disclosing the exact location where the prime minister would be treated.

Belyakov added that all those who had been in contact with Mishustin would go into self-isolation and be tested for the virus.

Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov will act as prime minister in his absence (Picture: EPA)

Russia’s nationwide tally of confirmed coronavirus cases surged past the 100,000 mark earlier on Thursday after a record daily rise in new infections.

Russia this week overtook China and Iran in the number of confirmed cases arising from the global pandemic.

However, Russia has so far reported 1,073 coronavirus-related deaths, a figure far lower than many of the hardest-hit countries.

Putin has warned the peak of the outbreak has yet to come, and the authorities have said there could be a new spike in cases if the population flouts lockdown measures during public holidays in early May.

The world’s largest country by territory, Russia has been on lockdown since Putin announced the closure of most public spaces in late March to limit the scope for the virus to spread.

Putin and the cabinet have been holding remote meetings to avoid contact.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Get the need-to-know coronavirus news, features and tips, right to your inbox.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMibGh0dHBzOi8vbWV0cm8uY28udWsvMjAyMC8wNS8wMS9ydXNzaWFuLXByaW1lLW1pbmlzdGVyLW1pa2hhaWwtbWlzaHVzdGluLXRlc3RzLXBvc2l0aXZlLWNvcm9uYXZpcnVzLTEyNjM3ODQ1L9IBcGh0dHBzOi8vbWV0cm8uY28udWsvMjAyMC8wNS8wMS9ydXNzaWFuLXByaW1lLW1pbmlzdGVyLW1pa2hhaWwtbWlzaHVzdGluLXRlc3RzLXBvc2l0aXZlLWNvcm9uYXZpcnVzLTEyNjM3ODQ1L2FtcC8?oc=5

2020-05-01 06:56:22Z
52780757660361

Coronavirus: Trump seems to undercut US spies on virus origins - BBC News

Media playback is unsupported on your device

US President Donald Trump has appeared to undercut his own intelligence agencies by suggesting he has seen evidence coronavirus originated in a Chinese laboratory.

Earlier the US national intelligence director's office said it was still investigating how the virus began.

But the office said it had determined Covid-19 "was not manmade or genetically modified".

China has rejected the lab theory and criticised the US response to Covid-19.

Since emerging in China last year, the virus has killed 230,000 people worldwide including 63,000 in the US.

• Simple ways you can help during the pandemic
• Has US tested more than rest of world combined?

The pandemic has seen at least 3.2 million people infected, a million of them Americans, since the virus spread from the city of Wuhan.

What did Trump say?

At the White House on Thursday, Mr Trump was asked by a reporter: "Have you seen anything at this point that gives you a high degree of confidence that the Wuhan Institute of Virology was the origin of this virus?"

"Yes, I have. Yes, I have," said the president, without specifying. "And I think the World Health Organization [WHO] should be ashamed of themselves because they're like the public relations agency for China."

Asked later to clarify his comment, he said: "I can't tell you that. I'm not allowed to tell you that."

Media playback is unsupported on your device

He also told reporters: "Whether they [China] made a mistake, or whether it started off as a mistake and then they made another one, or did somebody do something on purpose?

"I don't understand how traffic, how people weren't allowed into the rest of China, but they were allowed into the rest of the world. That's a bad, that's a hard question for them to answer."

The New York Times reported on Thursday that senior White House officials had asked the US intelligence community to investigate whether the virus came from a Wuhan research laboratory.

Intelligence agencies have also been tasked with determining if China and the WHO withheld information about the virus early on, unnamed officials told NBC News.

What did the intelligence service say?

In a rare public statement, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which oversees US spy agencies, said on Thursday it concurs with the "wide scientific consensus" regarding Covid-19's natural origins.

• Is there any evidence for coronavirus lab release idea?
• China and the US trade coronavirus conspiracy theories

"The [intelligence community] will continue to rigorously examine emerging information and intelligence to determine whether the outbreak began through contact with infected animals or if it was the result of an accident at a laboratory in Wuhan."

It was the first clear response from American intelligence debunking conspiracy theories - both from the US and China - that the virus is a bioweapon.

What are Trump's accusations against China?

Mr Trump has recently been escalating his war of words with China over the pandemic after what officials within the US president's administration had described as a truce with Beijing.

On Wednesday, he suggested China wanted him to lose his re-election bid in November.

He has formerly accused Chinese officials of covering up the virus early on and saying they could have stopped the disease from spreading.

He has similarly criticised the WHO and withdrawn US funding for the global body.

China's foreign ministry, meanwhile, has accused the Trump administration of trying to distract from its own problems tackling the crisis.

A ministry spokesman has also repeatedly promoted the idea - without evidence - that Covid-19 might have originated in the US.

According to the Washington Post, the Trump administration is looking into ways to punish China financially. Discussions reportedly include allowing the US government to sue China for damages or cancelling debt obligations.

How has Trump clashed with US intelligence before?

In January, he called US intelligence agencies "naive" on Iran and dismissed their assessment of the threat posed by North Korea.

His willingness to attack intelligence assessments goes back to his election in 2016, when he questioned an assessment that said Russia had interfered in the campaign.

• Even Trump allies shocked by Putin summit

He has continued to defend Russia against the accusation that it ran a campaign of cyber attacks and fake news stories to tip the vote in his favour despite US charges brought against Russian citizens.

The US-China propaganda war

This is the first definitive statement on the matter from US intelligence agencies. It rejects the most extreme of the conspiracy theories about the pandemic's origins - that the Chinese developed and unleashed the coronavirus as a bioweapon.

But it doesn't rule out the possibility that the virus was accidentally leaked from a Wuhan laboratory studying infectious diseases.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in particular has talked up that scenario, urging China to let outside experts into the facility, and raising questions about lab safety in other parts of the country. The Chinese government says any such allegations are unfounded and fabricated out of nothing.

Claims and counterclaims about the origins of the outbreak are part of a propaganda war over China's handling of the coronavirus crisis.

But they also reflect US frustration with the Chinese for not sharing more data about how the pandemic developed.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiM2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3dvcmxkLXVzLWNhbmFkYS01MjQ5NjA5ONIBN2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL2FtcC93b3JsZC11cy1jYW5hZGEtNTI0OTYwOTg?oc=5

2020-05-01 06:43:51Z
52780755167013

Donald Trump suggests he's seen PROOF coronavirus started in lab 'WHO should be ashamed' - Express.co.uk

Earlier, US national intelligence director's office said it was still investigating how the virus originated. However, the office said it had concluded the virus "was not manmade or genetically modified".

China has refused the theory that the virus was created in one of its labs.

Since its discovery in the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of last year, the coronavirus is confirmed to have infected 3.2 million people worldwide and caused more than 230,000 deaths.

At the White House on Thursday, President Trump was asked by a reporter: "Have you seen anything at this point that gives you a high degree of confidence that the Wuhan Institute of Virology was the origin of this virus?"

Trump answered: "Yes, I have. Yes, I have,

"And I think the World Health Organization should be ashamed of themselves because they're like the public relations agency for China."

He later clarified his answer: "I can't tell you that. I'm not allowed to tell you that."

He also said: "Whether they [China] made a mistake, or whether it started off as a mistake and then they made another one, or did somebody do something on purpose?

"I don't understand how traffic, how people weren't allowed into the rest of China, but they were allowed into the rest of the world.

“That's a bad, that's a hard question for them to answer."

Senior White House officials have tasked US intelligence agencies to inspect whether the virus originated in a Wuhan research laboratory, The New York Times reported.

READ MORE: Boris Johnson says ‘can’t allow tourist influx’ - warning on holidays

Unnamed officials told NBC on Wednesday that intelligence agencies were also asked to investigate if China and the World Health Organisation (WHO) had kept information about the virus during early days from the rest of the world.

In a rare public statement, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which oversees US spy agencies, said on Thursday it agrees with the "wide scientific consensus" in regards to coronavirus’ natural origins.

Adding that “the [intelligence community] will continue to rigorously examine emerging information and intelligence to determine whether the outbreak began through contact with infected animals or if it was the result of an accident at a laboratory in Wuhan."

DON'T MISS:
Coronavirus ticking time bomb as zoo animals face starvation [INSIGHT]
Coronavirus warning: How COVID-19 infection could lead to amputation [REVEALED]
Outrage as beach in Spain sprayed with bleach by authorities [UPDATES]

It was the first time an American intelligence refuted conspiracy theories about the virus being created as a bioweapon – by either country.

Trump has been escalating tensions with China over the coronavirus crisis after what trump’s administration officials dubbed a truce with Beijing.

The latest attack came on Wednesday, when Trump indicated that China wanted him to losing in the November elections.

It came after he accused Beijing of withholding information about the virus early on.

He launched a similar attack on the WHO before withdrawing US funding for the agency.

China's Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, has accused the Trump administration of trying to distract from its own issues dealing with the pandemic.

A ministry spokesman has also repeatedly endorsed the message – without evidence – that coronavirus might have started in the US.

According to the Washington Post, the Trump administration is considering imposing financial sanctions on China.

Possibilities reportedly include having the US government sue China for damages or abolishing debt obligations.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMid2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmV4cHJlc3MuY28udWsvbmV3cy93b3JsZC8xMjc2MzQ1L2RvbmFsZC10cnVtcC1jaGluYS1jb3JvbmF2aXJ1cy11cy1pbnRlbGxpZ2VuY2UtdGhlb3J5LWNvdmlkLTE5LXdvcmxkLXdhci0z0gF7aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZXhwcmVzcy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3dvcmxkLzEyNzYzNDUvZG9uYWxkLXRydW1wLWNoaW5hLWNvcm9uYXZpcnVzLXVzLWludGVsbGlnZW5jZS10aGVvcnktY292aWQtMTktd29ybGQtd2FyLTMvYW1w?oc=5

2020-05-01 06:29:00Z
52780755167013

Donald Trump says he has seen evidence that the coronavirus started in Wuhan virology laboratory - Daily Mail

Donald Trump says he has seen evidence that the coronavirus started in Wuhan virology laboratory – as he warns he could impose tariffs of $1 TRILLION on China in retribution

• Trump said he was confident the virus came from a lab in Wuhan, China 
• The president also warned he could impose tariffs of $1 trillion on China as a punishment for the pandemic 
• He seemed to rule out withholding US debt payments to China calling it a 'rough game' that could damage the 'sanctity' of the dollar 
• Sources said US officials are seeking retribution from the nation, such as  canceling debt or stripping China of its 'sovereign immunity'  
• Trump also blasted the World Health Organization Thursday  
• He then cast doubt on the theory the virus jumped from animals to humans 
• Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19

By Rachel Sharp For Dailymail.com and Geoff Earle, Deputy U.s. Political Editor For Dailymail.com

Published: 23:46 BST, 30 April 2020 | Updated: 04:20 BST, 1 May 2020

President Donald Trump said he has seen evidence that coronavirus started in the Wuhan virology laboratory, as he warned he could impose tariffs of $1 trillion on China in retribution for the pandemic.

The president made the explosive charge that the coronavirus that has caused millions of infections and wreaked havoc on the global economy may have been created in the Chinese lab during his coronavirus press briefing Thursday. 

He also suggested the federal government is exploring ways to punish China for triggering the outbreak by imposing tariffs but he stopped short of saying he would refuse to pay back US debts.  

'Yes I have. Yes I have,' Trump said when asked if he has confidence that the Wuhan Institute of Technology was the origin of the virus. 

The lab is located near a wet market that has been identified as the likely epicenter of the outbreak that took place late last year. 

The president would not disclose what the evidence was that confirmed his suspicions. 

President Trump said Thursday he has seen evidence that coronavirus started in the Wuhan virology laboratory, as he warned he could impose tariffs of $1 trillion on China in retribution for the pandemic

When asked if he would consider refusing to pay US's debts to China as punishment, the president said he 'could do it differently' and suggested the US will impose high tariffs of around $1 trillion on the nation. 

'I could do the same thing but even for more money just putting on tariffs,' he said.

'So I don't need to do that. It's approximately a trillion dollars - a little bit more I understand but we can do that in probably a little bit more of a forthright manner.'

Trump said withholding debt payments would be a 'rough game' that could damage the 'sanctity' of the dollar and ruled out taking this approach. 

'You start playing those games and that's tough,' he continued.

'We have the dollar to protect. We want to protect the sanctity of the dollar, the importance of the dollar. It's the greatest currency in the history of the world.' 

The president continued: 'It's a good question to say, 'well oh gee, we owe you a certain amount of money, we're going to keep it'. But when you start playing that game you really start hurting the sanctity of the greatest currency on earth but we can do it in other ways.

'We can do it with tariffs.  We can do it with other ways beyond that without having to play that game - that's a rough game.'

Trump's comments came after reports emerged that US administration officials were discussing canceling US debt obligations to China. 

US intelligence officials and government agencies were scheduled to meet Thursday to come up with a plan to punish or demand financial compensation from China over the pandemic, two sources told the Washington Post.  

One option on the table was to cancel the debt, while another was to strip China of its 'sovereign immunity'.   

George Sorial, who formerly served as a top executive at the Trump Organization and has filed a class-action lawsuit against China, told The Post senior White House officials were discussing limiting China's sovereign immunity so that the government could sue China for damages over the pandemic. 

This file photo taken on February 23, 2017 shows Chinese virologist Shi Zhengli inside the P4 laboratory in Wuhan, capital of China's Hubei province. Trump has touted the theory the lab may be the origin of the coronavirus

'Punishing China is definitely where the president's head is at right now,' one senior adviser said. 

A source also told Reuters a range of options are being discussed to punish China, with the State Department, White House National Security Council, Treasury Department and Pentagon, developing options.

'There is a discussion as to how hard to hit China and how to calibrate it properly,' they said. 

But some officials told The Post they are advising the president against such action, because this could damage the supply of critical medical goods from China to the US amid the pandemic. 

A spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry hit back at the US Thursday, warning the 'enemy is the virus, not China'. 

'As for punishment or accountability, as I have repeatedly stated, such rhetoric has no legal basis, and there's no international precedent,' said Geng Shuang. 

'At this time, undermining others' efforts will end up undermining oneself.'

In Thursday's press conference, Trump also cast doubt on the theory the virus jumped from animals, likely a species of bat, to humans, as coronaviruses have in the past.

'We are going to see where it is. We're going to see where it comes from. You know every theory,' Trump said. 

'You had the theory from the lab, you had the theory from many different – the bats, the type of bat. And the bat is 40 miles away so it couldn't have been here or couldn't have been there there. There's a lot of theories,' Trump said.

'But yeah, we have people looking at it very, very strongly. Scientific people, intelligence people and others. And we are going to put it together and have a very good answer eventually,' he said. 

Mystery: The path for the coronavirus getting into human beings remains unclear despite advances in knowledge of the virus itself seen (left) in a simulation and (right) under an electron microscope

The prevailing scientific theory is that the virus jumped from an animal species like a bat to humans, which might explain the outbreak at a Wuhan wet market

But Trump was also optimistic that China, who US officials have bashed for keeping out experts and failing to fully come clean on the virus, would be forthcoming.

'And China might even tell us. China may tell us,' Trump said. 

Trump was responding to a statement from his own Director of National Intelligence, whose office issued a statement knocking down conspiracy theories on the subject. 

'The Intelligence Community also concurs with the wide scientific consensus that the COVID-19 virus was not manmade or genetically modified,' it said.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has also blasted China for its conduct related to the virus, and Chinese state media have hit back in highly personal terms. 

Pompeo on Wednesday accused China of spreading disinformation. He has referred to COVID-19 as the 'Wuhan virus.' 

'The mere fact that we don't know the answers - that China hasn't shared the answers - I think is very, very telling,' said Pompeo. 

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has also blasted China for not letting the U.S. in to examine the Wuhan lab

He also has pushed China to let outside experts into the lab 'so that we can determine precisely where this virus began.'

Senior administration officials are pushing US spy agencies to search for information of the link, the New York Times reported. Some analysts raised concerns the pressure could warp US conclusions and assessments.  

As well as China, the president launched yet another attack on the World Health Organization Thursday.  

'And I think the World Health Organization ashamed of themselves -- because they are like the public relations agency for China,' he said of the UN body based in Geneva during the press conference. 

'And this country pays them almost $500 million a year, and China only pays $38 million a year.'

'They should be making excuses when people make horrible mistakes that are causing thousands of people around the world to die,' Trump said.

He spoke as his U.S. unemployment claims rose by another 3.8 million, U.S. deaths due the virus hit 60,000, and his own electoral prospects are down in battleground polls. 

'We're looking at exactly where it came from, who it came from, how it happened. Separately and also scientifically. So we're going to be able to find that,' Trump said. 

Proximity: The virus has been linked to the wet market in Wuhan, which sold wildlife for meat. U.S. officials have highlighted it being a 'few miles' from the virology laboratory

Why did China build a virus lab in Wuhan?

A worker is seen inside the P4 laboratory at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan on February 23, 2017

Chinese officials decided to build the Wuhan Institute of Virology after the country was ravaged by an outbreak of SARS in 2002 and 2003.

SARS, another kind of coronavirus, killed 775 people and infected more than 8,000 globally in an epidemic that lasted about eight months.

It took the Chinese 15 years to fully complete the project, which cost a total of 300million yuan (£34million). The French helped design the building. 

Its crown jewel is a four-storey lab with the highest biosafety level of P4.

It's the most advanced laboratory of its type in China.

Construction of the lab was finished in 2015 and it officially opened on January 5, 2018, after passing various safety inspections. 

Describing the significance of the P4 lab, China Youth Online billed it as the 'aircraft carrier of China's virology'. The state-run newspaper said it 'is capable of researching the deadliest pathogens'. 

One researcher, Zhou Peng, told state news agency Xinhua in 2018: 'We are proud to say that we are already at the forefront in the field of studying the immunity mechanism of bats, which carry viruses for a long time. 

'Bats carry viruses but are not infected [by them]. [They] provide hope for mankind to study how to fight viruses.'

  

Read more:

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMigwFodHRwczovL3d3dy5kYWlseW1haWwuY28udWsvbmV3cy9hcnRpY2xlLTgyNzU4MzcvRG9uYWxkLVRydW1wLXNheXMtc2Vlbi1ldmlkZW5jZS1jb3JvbmF2aXJ1cy1zdGFydGVkLVd1aGFuLXZpcm9sb2d5LWxhYm9yYXRvcnkuaHRtbNIBhwFodHRwczovL3d3dy5kYWlseW1haWwuY28udWsvbmV3cy9hcnRpY2xlLTgyNzU4MzcvYW1wL0RvbmFsZC1UcnVtcC1zYXlzLXNlZW4tZXZpZGVuY2UtY29yb25hdmlydXMtc3RhcnRlZC1XdWhhbi12aXJvbG9neS1sYWJvcmF0b3J5Lmh0bWw?oc=5

2020-05-01 03:31:29Z
52780758171181

Donald Trump says he has seen evidence that the coronavirus started in Wuhan virology laboratory - Daily Mail

Donald Trump says he has seen evidence that the coronavirus started in Wuhan virology laboratory – as he warns he could impose tariffs of $1 TRILLION on China in retribution

• Trump said he was confident the virus came from a lab in Wuhan, China 
• The president also warned he could impose tariffs of $1 trillion on China as a punishment for the pandemic 
• He seemed to rule out withholding US debt payments to China calling it a 'rough game' that could damage the 'sanctity' of the dollar 
• Sources said US officials are seeking retribution from the nation, such as  canceling debt or stripping China of its 'sovereign immunity'  
• Trump also blasted the World Health Organization Thursday  
• He then cast doubt on the theory the virus jumped from animals to humans 
• Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19

By Rachel Sharp For Dailymail.com and Geoff Earle, Deputy U.s. Political Editor For Dailymail.com

Published: 23:46 BST, 30 April 2020 | Updated: 04:00 BST, 1 May 2020

President Donald Trump said he has seen evidence that coronavirus started in the Wuhan virology laboratory, as he warned he could impose tariffs of $1 trillion on China in retribution for the pandemic.

The president made the explosive charge that the coronavirus that has caused millions of infections and wreaked havoc on the global economy may have been created in the Chinese lab during his coronavirus press briefing Thursday. 

He also suggested the federal government is exploring ways to punish China for triggering the outbreak by imposing tariffs but he stopped short of saying he would refuse to pay back US debts.  

'Yes I have. Yes I have,' Trump said when asked if he has confidence that the Wuhan Institute of Technology was the origin of the virus. 

The lab is located near a wet market that has been identified as the likely epicenter of the outbreak that took place late last year. 

The president would not disclose what the evidence was that confirmed his suspicions. 

President Trump said Thursday he has seen evidence that coronavirus started in the Wuhan virology laboratory, as he warned he could impose tariffs of $1 trillion on China in retribution for the pandemic

When asked if he would consider refusing to pay US's debts to China as punishment, the president said he 'could do it differently' and suggested the US will impose high tariffs of around $1 trillion on the nation. 

'I could do the same thing but even for more money just putting on tariffs,' he said.

'So I don't need to do that. It's approximately a trillion dollars - a little bit more I understand but we can do that in probably a little bit more of a forthright manner.'

Trump said withholding debt payments would be a 'rough game' that could damage the 'sanctity' of the dollar and ruled out taking this approach. 

'You start playing those games and that's tough,' he continued.

'We have the dollar to protect. We want to protect the sanctity of the dollar, the importance of the dollar. It's the greatest currency in the history of the world.' 

The president continued: 'It's a good question to say, 'well oh gee, we owe you a certain amount of money, we're going to keep it'. But when you start playing that game you really start hurting the sanctity of the greatest currency on earth but we can do it in other ways.

'We can do it with tariffs.  We can do it with other ways beyond that without having to play that game - that's a rough game.'

Trump's comments came after reports emerged that US administration officials were discussing canceling US debt obligations to China. 

US intelligence officials and government agencies were scheduled to meet Thursday to come up with a plan to punish or demand financial compensation from China over the pandemic, two sources told the Washington Post.  

One option on the table was to cancel the debt, while another was to strip China of its 'sovereign immunity'.   

George Sorial, who formerly served as a top executive at the Trump Organization and has filed a class-action lawsuit against China, told The Post senior White House officials were discussing limiting China's sovereign immunity so that the government could sue China for damages over the pandemic. 

This file photo taken on February 23, 2017 shows Chinese virologist Shi Zhengli inside the P4 laboratory in Wuhan, capital of China's Hubei province. Trump has touted the theory the lab may be the origin of the coronavirus

'Punishing China is definitely where the president's head is at right now,' one senior adviser said. 

A source also told Reuters a range of options are being discussed to punish China, with the State Department, White House National Security Council, Treasury Department and Pentagon, developing options.

'There is a discussion as to how hard to hit China and how to calibrate it properly,' they said. 

But some officials told The Post they are advising the president against such action, because this could damage the supply of critical medical goods from China to the US amid the pandemic. 

A spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry hit back at the US Thursday, warning the 'enemy is the virus, not China'. 

'As for punishment or accountability, as I have repeatedly stated, such rhetoric has no legal basis, and there's no international precedent,' said Geng Shuang. 

'At this time, undermining others' efforts will end up undermining oneself.'

In Thursday's press conference, Trump also cast doubt on the theory the virus jumped from animals, likely a species of bat, to humans, as coronaviruses have in the past.

'We are going to see where it is. We're going to see where it comes from. You know every theory,' Trump said. 

'You had the theory from the lab, you had the theory from many different – the bats, the type of bat. And the bat is 40 miles away so it couldn't have been here or couldn't have been there there. There's a lot of theories,' Trump said.

'But yeah, we have people looking at it very, very strongly. Scientific people, intelligence people and others. And we are going to put it together and have a very good answer eventually,' he said. 

Mystery: The path for the coronavirus getting into human beings remains unclear despite advances in knowledge of the virus itself seen (left) in a simulation and (right) under an electron microscope

The prevailing scientific theory is that the virus jumped from an animal species like a bat to humans, which might explain the outbreak at a Wuhan wet market

But Trump was also optimistic that China, who US officials have bashed for keeping out experts and failing to fully come clean on the virus, would be forthcoming.

'And China might even tell us. China may tell us,' Trump said. 

Trump was responding to a statement from his own Director of National Intelligence, whose office issued a statement knocking down conspiracy theories on the subject. 

'The Intelligence Community also concurs with the wide scientific consensus that the COVID-19 virus was not manmade or genetically modified,' it said.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has also blasted China for its conduct related to the virus, and Chinese state media have hit back in highly personal terms. 

Pompeo on Wednesday accused China of spreading disinformation. He has referred to COVID-19 as the 'Wuhan virus.' 

'The mere fact that we don't know the answers - that China hasn't shared the answers - I think is very, very telling,' said Pompeo. 

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has also blasted China for not letting the U.S. in to examine the Wuhan lab

He also has pushed China to let outside experts into the lab 'so that we can determine precisely where this virus began.'

Senior administration officials are pushing US spy agencies to search for information of the link, the New York Times reported. Some analysts raised concerns the pressure could warp US conclusions and assessments.  

As well as China, the president launched yet another attack on the World Health Organization Thursday.  

'And I think the World Health Organization ashamed of themselves -- because they are like the public relations agency for China,' he said of the UN body based in Geneva during the press conference. 

'And this country pays them almost $500 million a year, and China only pays $38 million a year.'

'They should be making excuses when people make horrible mistakes that are causing thousands of people around the world to die,' Trump said.

He spoke as his U.S. unemployment claims rose by another 3.8 million, U.S. deaths due the virus hit 60,000, and his own electoral prospects are down in battleground polls. 

'We're looking at exactly where it came from, who it came from, how it happened. Separately and also scientifically. So we're going to be able to find that,' Trump said. 

Proximity: The virus has been linked to the wet market in Wuhan, which sold wildlife for meat. U.S. officials have highlighted it being a 'few miles' from the virology laboratory

Why did China build a virus lab in Wuhan?

A worker is seen inside the P4 laboratory at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan on February 23, 2017

Chinese officials decided to build the Wuhan Institute of Virology after the country was ravaged by an outbreak of SARS in 2002 and 2003.

SARS, another kind of coronavirus, killed 775 people and infected more than 8,000 globally in an epidemic that lasted about eight months.

It took the Chinese 15 years to fully complete the project, which cost a total of 300million yuan (£34million). The French helped design the building. 

Its crown jewel is a four-storey lab with the highest biosafety level of P4.

It's the most advanced laboratory of its type in China.

Construction of the lab was finished in 2015 and it officially opened on January 5, 2018, after passing various safety inspections. 

Describing the significance of the P4 lab, China Youth Online billed it as the 'aircraft carrier of China's virology'. The state-run newspaper said it 'is capable of researching the deadliest pathogens'. 

One researcher, Zhou Peng, told state news agency Xinhua in 2018: 'We are proud to say that we are already at the forefront in the field of studying the immunity mechanism of bats, which carry viruses for a long time. 

'Bats carry viruses but are not infected [by them]. [They] provide hope for mankind to study how to fight viruses.'

  

Read more:

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMigwFodHRwczovL3d3dy5kYWlseW1haWwuY28udWsvbmV3cy9hcnRpY2xlLTgyNzU4MzcvRG9uYWxkLVRydW1wLXNheXMtc2Vlbi1ldmlkZW5jZS1jb3JvbmF2aXJ1cy1zdGFydGVkLVd1aGFuLXZpcm9sb2d5LWxhYm9yYXRvcnkuaHRtbNIBhwFodHRwczovL3d3dy5kYWlseW1haWwuY28udWsvbmV3cy9hcnRpY2xlLTgyNzU4MzcvYW1wL0RvbmFsZC1UcnVtcC1zYXlzLXNlZW4tZXZpZGVuY2UtY29yb25hdmlydXMtc3RhcnRlZC1XdWhhbi12aXJvbG9neS1sYWJvcmF0b3J5Lmh0bWw?oc=5

2020-05-01 03:07:19Z
52780758171181

Coronavirus: Trump seems to undercut US spies on virus origins - BBC News

Media playback is unsupported on your device

US President Donald Trump has appeared to undercut his own intelligence agencies by suggesting he has seen evidence coronavirus originated in a Chinese laboratory.

Earlier the US national intelligence director's office said it was still investigating how the virus began.

But the office said it had determined Covid-19 "was not manmade or genetically modified".

China has rejected the lab theory and criticised the US response to Covid-19.

Since emerging in the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of last year, the coronavirus is confirmed to have infected 3.2 million people worldwide and killed more than 230,000.

• Simple ways you can help during the pandemic
• Has US tested more than rest of world combined?

What did President Trump say?

At the White House on Thursday, Mr Trump was asked by a reporter: "Have you seen anything at this point that gives you a high degree of confidence that the Wuhan Institute of Virology was the origin of this virus?"

"Yes, I have. Yes, I have," said the president, without specifying. "And I think the World Health Organization should be ashamed of themselves because they're like the public relations agency for China."

Asked later to clarify his comment, he said: "I can't tell you that. I'm not allowed to tell you that."

He also told reporters: "Whether they [China] made a mistake, or whether it started off as a mistake and then they made another one, or did somebody do something on purpose?

"I don't understand how traffic, how people weren't allowed into the rest of China, but they were allowed into the rest of the world. That's a bad, that's a hard question for them to answer."

The New York Times reported on Thursday that senior White House officials have asked the US intelligence community to investigate whether the virus came from a Wuhan research laboratory.

Intelligence agencies have also been tasked with determining if China and the WHO withheld information about the virus early on, unnamed officials told NBC News on Wednesday.

Media playback is unsupported on your device

What did the intelligence chief say?

In a rare public statement, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which oversees US spy agencies, said on Thursday it concurs with the "wide scientific consensus" regarding Covid-19's natural origins.

"The [intelligence community] will continue to rigorously examine emerging information and intelligence to determine whether the outbreak began through contact with infected animals or if it was the result of an accident at a laboratory in Wuhan."

It was the first clear response from American intelligence debunking conspiracy theories - both from the US and China - that the virus is a bioweapon.

• Is there any evidence for coronavirus lab release idea?
• China and the US trade coronavirus conspiracy theories

What's the background?

Mr Trump has recently been escalating his war of words with China over the pandemic after what officials within the US president's administration had described as a truce with Beijing.

On Wednesday, he suggested China wanted him to lose his re-election bid in November.

Mr Trump has formerly accused Chinese officials of covering up the virus early on and saying they could have stopped the disease from spreading.

He has similarly criticised the WHO and withdrawn US funding for the global body.

China's Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, has accused the Trump administration of trying to distract from its own problems tackling the crisis.

A ministry spokesman has also repeatedly promoted the idea - without evidence - that Covid-19 might have originated in the US.

According to the Washington Post, the Trump administration is looking into ways to punish China financially. Discussions reportedly include allowing the US government to sue China for damages or cancelling debt obligations.

The US-China propaganda war

This is the first definitive statement on the matter from US intelligence agencies. It rejects the most extreme of the conspiracy theories about the pandemic's origins - that the Chinese developed and unleashed the coronavirus as a bioweapon.

But it doesn't rule out the possibility that the virus was accidentally leaked from a Wuhan laboratory studying infectious diseases.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in particular has talked up that scenario, urging China to let outside experts into the facility, and raising questions about lab safety in other parts of the country. The Chinese government says any such allegations are unfounded and fabricated out of nothing.

Claims and counterclaims about the origins of the outbreak are part of a propaganda war over China's handling of the coronavirus crisis.

But they also reflect US frustration with the Chinese for not sharing more data about how the pandemic developed.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiMWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy93b3JsZC11cy1jYW5hZGEtNTI0OTYwOTjSATVodHRwczovL3d3dy5iYmMuY29tL25ld3MvYW1wL3dvcmxkLXVzLWNhbmFkYS01MjQ5NjA5OA?oc=5

2020-05-01 01:07:30Z
52780758171181