Where did the coronavirus come from — and what didn’t China tell us?
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said over the weekend that “enormous evidence” exists indicating the pandemic began in a lab in Wuhan, but the World Health Organization responded Monday that it has seen no evidence of that.
Meanwhile, both President Trump and Pompeo have accused China of misleading the world about the virus that has now infected more than 3.5 million people — with a newly revealed Department of Homeland Security intelligence report saying Beijing “intentionally concealed the severity” of the pandemic from the world.
The United Kingdom’s defense secretary also chimed in Monday, saying China must respond to allegations that it downplayed the severity of the virus.
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Here’s what else we learned today:
Reopen, restart:
- Millions of people were allowed to return to work in Italy as Europe’s longest coronavirus lockdown began to ease off.
- Several US states also took steps to lift restrictions — including Florida, where beaches reopened, with social-distancing rules still in place.
- Carnival Cruise Line says it’s making plans to return to the high seas in August — and travel agent say there’s already demand for tickets.
New York crisis:
- Gov. Andrew Cuomo fleshed out his plans for awakening New York’s economy from its coronavirus-induced slumber, laying out a four-phase strategy for reopening businesses.
- Videos of a physical altercation between an NYPD officer and a bystander during an alleged social-distancing arrest have sparked controversy.
- With haircutters closed indefinitely, a mystery barber turned a Brooklyn street into a salon.
Socially-distanced:
- The US Supreme Court held its first-ever proceeding by teleconference Monday as the justices broke with tradition amid the pandemic.
- More than 900 tipsters who spoke up about social-distancing violations in Missouri were doxxed on social media, prompting many to fear retaliation.
Research continues:
- As scores of researchers across the world scramble to develop vaccines for the coronavirus, a WHO envoy cautioned that one may never come.
- A strange phenomenon dubbed “happy hypoxia” has baffled doctors treating COVID-19 patients.
Some good news:
- Employees at a California hospital received an anonymous $1 million donation for their hard work.
- A tough-as-nails 100-year-old woman — dubbed a “boomerang” — has bounced back from a long list of ailments that now includes COVID-19.
Meanwhile…
- A high-ranking engineer at Amazon said he resigned in protest of the “chickens–t” company’s treatment of warehouse workers during the outbreak.
- And here’s how parents are dealing with the grim news of summer camps being cancelled.
Chinese State Media CCTV offered a rare glimpse inside the Wuhan Institute of Virology P4 Lab in February.CCTV