In the ongoing United Kingdom’s COVID-19 inquiry, cabinet minister Michael Gove said that COVID-19 may have been “man-made” and further admitted the country was not prepared to deal with the pandemic.
Speaking in the inquiry, the former chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster said, “We were not well prepared as we should have been ideally. I think that is true.”
“Again, it’s in the nature of the fact that the virus was novel and, indeed, I think this probably goes beyond the remit of the Inquiry this, a significant body of judgement that believes that the virus itself was man-made and that presents sort of challenges as well,” he added.
In the inquiry, the legal counsel Hugo Keith KC said that it was not included in the terms of reference to look at the “somewhat divisive issue” of how the pandemic started, Gove said that it was “important to recognise that the virus presented a new series of challenges” from the virus.
Michael Gove further said that he “admired” the way Scotland’s Nicola Sturgeon handled the pandemic but added that the Scottish government wished to highlight differences for political means.
He said that he felt Scotland was wanting to “exaggerate the impact of a mistake or error in order to feed a broader political mission”.
WHO should examine Covid’s possible origins
UK’s Downing Street has stated that the World Health Organisation (WHO) needs to investigate coronavirus all possible origins.
While appearing at the COVID-19 inquiry, Michael Gove claimed that there was a “significant body of judgment that believes that the virus itself was man-made”.
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Later, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said, “The Government’s view is that the WHO needs to continue to examine all possibilities We think there is still work to be done. But it is for the WHO to investigate.”
He stated that it was the “long-standing position of the government” that the WHO needs to “consider all possible avenues and to come to a conclusion”.
“I don’t think it is quite that people have differing views about the origins of COVID-19,” he said.
(With inputs from agencies)
