'Spreading Covid-19 intentionally is an act of terrorism'
"Threats or attempts to use COVID-19 as a weapon against Americans will not be tolerated," said Deputy Attorney General
Individuals who intentionally spread the novel coronavirus could be charged with terrorism for their "purposeful exposure and infection of others," announced the US Justice Department to take control of the pandemic.
A written directive by the Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen said, "The virus appears to meet the statutory definition of a 'biological agent, such acts potentially could implicate the Nation's terrorism-related statutes," reports CNN.
"Threats or attempts to use COVID-19 as a weapon against Americans will not be tolerated," Rosen added.
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He expressed in detail how they have been receiving complaints of a wide range of fraudulent and criminal schemes related to the pandemic, including robocalls making fraudulent offers to sell respirator masks with no intent of delivery and fake coronavirus apps and websites that install malware.
The Justice Department will continue this mission until this situation is wiped out completely.
The statement underscores the aggressive steps the US is willing to consider and act as the virus has escalated across the country.
As of now, US has more than 64,000 cases of the virus and nearly 900 people have died.
