US accuses China of withholding critical coronavirus-related information

The United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reiterated his charges and accused China of withholding information that could prove critical in preventing further escalation of coronavirus cases. Mike Pompeo while talking on a radio program said that Beijing's delay in providing the world with information has created risk for people across the globe. Pompeo also attacked the Chinese Communist Party for allegedly engaging in disinformation and cover-up. 

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Pompeo further accused Russia and Iran of playing on China's line and waging the disinformation campaigns about COVID-19. Pompeo alleged that China, Iran and Russia are talking about the virus coming from the US Army and the possibility of it originating in Italy. Pompeo said that they're doing this to deflect responsibility. The Secretary of State said that this is an ongoing global crisis and urged countries to act responsibly and in a transparent way to help the global community tackle the outbreak. 

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Coronavirus outbreak

The COVID-19 has claimed more than 18,900 lives across the world and has infected nearly 4,22,000 people globally since it first broke out in December 2019. China was the most affected country until last week, however, Italy surpassed it to record the most number of deaths anywhere in the world due to COVID-19. The virus is believed to have originated from a seafood market in China's Wuhan city, the epicentre of the disease, where animals were reportedly being traded illegally.  

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Spain, and Iran are the most affected countries after Italy and China, where, as of March 24 the combined death toll stands at 4,925. France has now also joined the list of countries that have recorded more than 1,000 deaths. Health experts believe that the hotspot could soon shift to the United States, where 782 people have died so far, out of the 52,881 confirmed cases that the country has recorded since January 2020.

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(Image Credit: AP)