A SPY-DEN FOR BIDEN
Two government scientists escorted from the National Microbiology Laboratory amidst an investigation and internal review have been let go.
"The two scientists are no longer employed," chief of media relations Eric Morrissette, confirmed in an email late Friday.
"We cannot disclose additional information, nor comment further, for reasons of confidentiality."
Sources say members of the lab's special pathogens unit were called to a meeting on Thursday and told that Dr. Xiangguo Qiu and her husband, Keding Cheng, will not be returning to work. They were not given an explanation.
Cheng, Qiu and her students from China were removed from their Level 4 lab over what was described as a "policy breach" and administrative matter.
A Level 4 virology facility is a lab equipped to work with the most serious and deadly human and animal diseases.
That makes the lab one of only a handful in North America capable of handling pathogens requiring the highest level of containment, such as Ebola.
Qiu is a medical doctor and virologist from Tianjin, China.
Her husband is a biologist.
Last year, documents obtained through an access to information request found that Qiu was responsible for a shipment of Ebola and Henipah viruses to the Wuhan Institute of Virology before she and her husband were escorted from the lab.
At the time, officials said the shipment and Qiu's eviction from the lab were not connected.
Qiu also made at least five trips to China in 2017-18, including one to train scientists and technicians at China's newly certified Level 4 lab, which does research with the most deadly pathogens, according to travel documents.
"This adds to the appearance that NML staff acted improperly, and perhaps illegally, when they exported Ebola virus to a lab in Wuhan, China, totally without any scientific justification," said Amir Attaran, a professor in the faculty of law and School of Epidemiology and Public Health.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/canadian-scientists-national-microbiology-laboratory-1.5904035