As Death Toll Mounts, Governments Point Fingers Over Coronavirus

The head of the World Health Organization said it was “not a time for excuses,” but some countries have been busily exchanging blame.

An Iranian official claimed without evidence that the epidemic could be an American bioweapon, after some U.S. officials said the same about China. Saudi Arabia said its cases were Iran’s fault. South Korea lashed out at Japan over travel restrictions and responded in kind.

At a time of global crisis, when the new coronavirus has infected more than 100,000 people, killed more than 3,400, and all but shut down whole industries, the world’s scientists and public health officials are working together across ideological and national borders to try to stop the epidemic.

But as the virus continues its rapid spread, political leaders in many countries seem to have seized on a different question: Who can be blamed? Continue reading.