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The Telegraph
The Telegraph
Health
Global Health Security Team

Coronavirus latest news: Donald Trump pulls World Health Organisation funding and accuses body of virus 'cover-up'

Donald Trump has accused WHO of being "China-centric" - Alex Brandon/AP
Donald Trump has accused WHO of being "China-centric" - Alex Brandon/AP

President Trump has announced that the United States will stop funding the World Health Organisation, accusing it of covering up the seriousness of the coronavirus outbreak in China before it spread around the world.

According to Mr Trump, WHO prevented transparency over the outbreak and the United States - the UN body's biggest funder which provided $400 million last year - will now "discuss what to do with all that money that goes to the WHO."

He said that the WHO had not sent experts into China quickly enough when the outbreak first emerged and took the assurances from that country's leaders "at face value". 

Mr Trump said had the WHO "done its job" by getting experts into China swiftly then "the outbreak could have been contained at its sources with very little death". The US president suggested thousands of lives could have been saved by such action. 

Meanwhile, the official UK death toll hit 12,107 on Tuesday as another 778 people died, with government sources stressing there could be no talk of an exit strategy “before we have reached the peak”.

Follow the latest updates below.

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