Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Intelligence Report Suggests China Hid Early Outbreak Information So It Could Hoard Medical Supplies
The Associated Press: DHS Report: China Hid Virus' Severity To Hoard Supplies
U.S. officials believe China covered up the extent of the coronavirus outbreak — and how contagious the disease is — to stock up on medical supplies needed to respond to it, intelligence documents show. Chinese leaders “intentionally concealed the severity” of the pandemic from the world in early January, according to a four-page Department of Homeland Security intelligence report dated May 1 and obtained by The Associated Press. (Weissert, 5/4)
Politico: DHS Report Accuses China Of Hiding Coronavirus Info So It Could Hoard Supplies
The report says that in January of this year, before sharing full details on the novel coronavirus outbreak with the World Health Organization, Beijing dramatically increased its imports and decreased its exports of medical supplies. In January, according to the report, China increased its imports of surgical facemasks by 278 percent, surgical gowns by 72 percent, and surgical gloves by 32 percent. Meanwhile, it slashed its global exports of a host of medical products: surgical gloves by 48 percent, surgical gowns by 71 percent, face masks by 48 percent, medical ventilators by 45 percent, intubator kits by 56 percent, thermometers by 53 percent, and cotton balls and swabs by 58 percent. (Swan, 5/3)
Reuters: Trump Administration Pushing To Rip Global Supply Chains From China: Officials
The Trump administration is “turbocharging” an initiative to remove global industrial supply chains from China as it weighs new tariffs to punish Beijing for its handling of the coronavirus outbreak, according to officials familiar with U.S. planning. President Donald Trump, who has stepped up recent attacks on China ahead of the Nov. 3 U.S. presidential election, has long pledged to bring manufacturing back from overseas. (Pamuk and Shalal, 5/4)
