At a White House news conference Trump was asked about the reports of the virus escaping from the Wuhan lab, and he said he was aware of them. Trump has sought to stress strong US ties with China during the pandemic as the United States has relied on China for personal protection equipment desperately needed by American medical workers. Pompeo, in a Fox News Channel interview after Trump's news conference, said "we know this virus originated in Wuhan, China," and that the Institute of Virology is only a handful of miles away from the wet market. "We really need the Chinese government to open up" and help explain "exactly how this virus spread," said Pompeo. He returned to the subject on Wednesday, saying the United States has more cases "because we do more reporting."

Source: bd News24 April 16, 2020 00:22 UTC