The spread of the deadly coronavirus from China across the globe was either a horrible Chinese error or it was possibly stupidity, said US President Donald Trump on Thursday.
"It should have been stopped at the point (coronavirus). It should have been stopped right at the start. It should have been easy to do, but something happened," he told reporters.
"If they made a horrible mistake — it was probably incompetence, someone was incompetent and they didn't do the job they should have done. It's too bad," the president said in response to a query.
About 2,64,000 people have died globally from COVID-19 and 37 lakh have tested positive for the disease. More than 76,000 Americans have died in the US alone, and 12 lakh people have tested positive.
The deadly virus is spreading to more than 180 nations, Trump said.
Meanwhile House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy announced the creation of the China Task Force, which will bring together selected members from key committees to help improve Congressional efforts to combat current and potential cross-jurisdictional threats from China.
The task force was initially intended to be a joint endeavor with Democratic colleagues but the majority never initiated the initiative after delaying for more than a year, the Republican leader said.
"As we learn more about COVID-19, one thing has become obvious — China's cover-up has contributed directly to this crisis. China's Communist Party has obscured the severity of the disease, waged a propaganda campaign accusing the US, used its resources to exert control, and continues to deny foreign experts to investigate what happened," McCarthy said.
"It fits the same aggressive pattern of actions we've seen in the Chinese Communist Party for years — something that has long been Washington's bipartisan consensus," he said.
In a related event, 27 Senate and House representatives condemned the remarks of Chinese ambassador Cheng Jingye and expressed support for Australia's decision to continue with the inquiry.
The comments insinuated that Australia could face economic retaliation after calling for an independent investigation into the coronavirus' origins, including Australian wine and beef boycotts.
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