Covid originated from China's Wuhan lab, hints Trump who is 'not allowed' to say more

US President Donald Trump claimed on Thursday with a high degree of confidence that  vel coronavirus, that has killed over 230,000 people globally so far and has shattered ecomies, emerged from a virology lab in Wuhan city of China. Asked what gave him a high degree of confidence that virus originated from Wuhan Institute of Virology, he said that he is t allowed to say that, adding that he is t holding Chine President Xi Jinping responsible for it. Earlier on Wednesday Xi has called China's handling of coronavirus as a strategic achievement.

"Yes, I have. Yes, I have, I can't tell you that. I'm t allowed to tell you that. I don't want to say that, I don't want to say that, but certainly it could have been stopped. It came out of China and it could have been stopped and I wish y had stopped it and so does whole world wish y had stopped it." Trump added, "y were eir unable to, or y chose t to. And world has suffered greatly. y eir didn't do it and you kw y couldn't do it from a competent standpoint or y let it spread and I would say probably it got out of control. Something happened. I don't say misleading or t. I'll let you kw that. I mean, I'll be able to give you that answer at some point in hopefully t-too-distant future"

Before holding m accountable, Trump said he wants to find out what happened. "I think we'll be able to get a very good -- a very powerful definition of exactly what happened. We're working on it strongly w and I think it's going to be very powerful. But y could have stopped it. y are a very brilliant nation, scientifically and orwise. It got loose, let's say, and y could have capped it. y could have stopped it, but y didn't. And y stopped planes from going to China, but y didn't stop m from going to rest of world. What was that all about? he asked.

Coronavirus has so far infected 1,095,023 people in US and claimed 63,856 lives, while 152,324 have recovered.

READ | Donald Trump says 'our testing is so much better' as US COVID-19 cases surpass 1 million

Trump halts funding, WHO responds

Last week, Trump halted US funding to UN body after alleging mismanaging coronavirus crisis. Trump has blamed WHO's "very much sided" approach to China on coronavirus crisis, asserting that many people are unhappy with global health ncy and feel that "it's been very unfair".  In an obvious reference to China, he said: "Everybody kws what's going on re." 

READ | Trump to prep for transition in case he loses

Responding to  halt of funds, WHO director-general Tedros Adham Ghebreyesus on Thursday said that y regret  decision made by Trump. He said that US has been a 'longstanding & generous friend' and maintained that WHO 'works with all nations equally, and it does t 'discriminate'. 

READ | Donald Trump considering COVID-19 checks on international flights

READ |  Trump on Biden allegations: 'He should respond

(with PTI inputs)