GOP Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas called for “serious consequences” against China as the deadly coronavirus begins to spread around the globe.
During an interview on the Brian Kilmeade Show, Cotton ripped the Chinese government for failing to contain the spread of coronavirus after it was announced that the contagious disease had been detected in the United States. The first case of coronavirus appeared in Washington state after being previously isolated to China. Six had died, and nearly 300 were infected in China.
Cotton blamed China for the spread, saying, “The Chinese communist party has once again been caught red-handed covering up, suppressing, and censoring a serious public health risk.”
The Republican senator warned that the disease could be a “global public health risk.” He called on U.S. agencies to prioritize stopping the disease’s spread while demanding that China face international consequences for not quarantining the virus.
“First off, our global public health authorities in the United States have to work to get this under control,” Cotton said. “But second, there needs to be serious consequences for Chinese malfeasance yet again.”
He added: “For weeks, China did not come clean about the coronavirus that they first said was only being passed from animals to humans in a seafood market in Wuhan in China. But now we know … that it is increasingly being passed from person to person. We had our first confirmed U.S. case happen just in the last couple of days, and it is spreading around the globe.”
Cotton also expressed his outrage on Twitter, writing, “The [Chinese Communist Party] is once again keeping the world in the dark about a deadly outbreak. This harmful approach will only ensure the virus spreads further. Beijing must be fully transparent starting now to prevent this from becoming a pandemic.”
[Read: Chinese authorities to cut off city of 11 million to contain coronavirus]
Once again, a deadly virus is emanating from China. Hundreds have fallen ill in Asia and at least one confirmed case has reached the United States. It’s imperative that the CCP be fully transparent and share information so we can stop this disease from spreading.
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) January 22, 2020
The CCP is once again keeping the world in the dark about a deadly outbreak. This harmful approach will only ensure the virus spreads further. Beijing must be fully transparent starting now to prevent this from becoming a pandemic. https://t.co/KlWTzwfjaI
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) January 22, 2020
The infected person had been overseas before returning to his home north of Seattle, Washington. The state’s health secretary, John Wiesman, said the man “acted quickly” after feeling symptoms. He has since been quarantined and is receiving treatment. Authorities are also conducting screenings at airports throughout the U.S. to contain the disease.
