The federal government's primary online resource for COVID-19 information has been replaced. The Trump administration has moved to replace websites that previously offered health information and access to tests and treatment for the virus, swapping them out with a page titled "Lab Leak: The True Origins of COVID-19" published by the White House. This new White House website focuses on the theory that the virus originated from a laboratory in China.
For the past two years, the Department of Health and Human Services had run the COVID.gov and COVIDTests.gov websites to link to resources about the virus, like finding vaccines and ordering free tests offered during the winter, according to archived versions of the site. The old website included information on vaccines, treatment, and testing, advising visitors how soon to seek treatment and including guidance for people with medical conditions.
The federal government’s longstanding hub for news and updates on COVID-19 now redirects visitors. The new site features five arguments supporting the lab origin theory. Among them is the explanation that Wuhan, the Chinese city where the virus first began spreading, is home to a prominent virology lab.
The new website also directly criticizes figures and policies from the previous administration and others involved in the pandemic response. The Trump administration has moved to replace websites, and the new page criticizes former President Joe Biden, former top health official Anthony Fauci, and the World Health Organization. The website also criticizes measures adopted by his predecessors, including social distancing, masking, and lockdowns. Trump began a 12-month process of withdrawing the U.S. from the WHO when he took office in January.
An assessment by the Central Intelligence Agency ordered by the Biden administration concluded in January "with low confidence" that a laboratory origin of the virus was more likely than a natural origin. Both a natural origin and a laboratory origin remained plausible, the CIA said at the time. The government website on pandemic information now doubles down on lab-leak theory content.
Beyond the changes to online resources, federal agencies were also ordered this month to take down any signage related to COVID-19, according to a memo obtained by CBS News. The memorandum also directed agencies to put up official portraits of President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance immediately, and take down any portraits of the previous administration.
Some federal health agency websites continued to direct readers to that link for more information about COVID testing hours after the "lab leak" page rolled out, even though the White House's page does not have information on how to get tests. An HHS spokesperson said the department was in the process of updating their web pages accordingly.
China says it has taken steps to determine the virus’ origin and has accused Americans of politicizing the matter, especially because of efforts by U.S. intelligence agencies to investigate the cause. Beijing has stated there was no credibility to claims that a laboratory leak likely caused the pandemic.