Published 15:28 IST, April 21st 2020
China wants to benefit by creating COVID-19 vaccine, limiting info: White House adviser
White House adviser has said that China might be restricting data about early stage of pandemic because it wants to be the first one to create COVID-19 vaccine.
White House trade adviser Peter Navarro has said on April 20 that China might be restricting data about the early stage of the coronavirus outbreak because it wants to earn the economical benefits by creating the vaccine to COVID-19 disease. As the outbreak continues to tighten its grip on the world, more than 2.4 million people have been infected and there is still not a definite cure to the highly contagious disease.
In an interview with the international broadcaster, an open critic of China, Navarro said that “one of the reasons” for China not disclosing the information about the time coronavirus was originated in the communist superpower back in December 2019, is that “they’re racing to get a vaccine and they think this is just a competitive business race”. He further added that China plans on getting the major chunk of COVID-19 vaccines by selling them to the world. According to the statists, the United States has been worst affected by the coronavirus outbreak and as of April 21, at least 792,938 people have been infected with 42,518 fatalities.
‘We’re going to beat them’
Despite placing the blame of the global health crisis on Beijing, The White House adviser has assured that the US is “going to beat them” citing US President Donald Trump’s leadership. Currently, Navarro works on the issues related to the supply-line to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. There are still no approved vaccines or treatments to the fatal disease that has infected 2,491,325 people in the world with over 170,600 deaths. Out of the millions, only 653,722 have been cured.
Earlier, an Israel-based attorney had said that China can be 'legally held accountable' for 'cover-ups' related to the coronavirus outbreak. Trump had earlier called the COVID-19 as the “Chinese Virus” because it had originated from the mainland and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had blamed China, Russia and Iran for spreading misinformation about the novel virus.
Image Source: AP
Updated 15:18 IST, April 21st 2020