The White House reportedly made coronavirus meetings classified, keeping out 'very critical people'

Four Trump administration officials told Reuters the White House, on the advice of the National Security Council, has held classified meetings about the response to the novel COVID-19 coronavirus since January. In the process, the officials said, "some very critical people," including government experts, have been held out of the meetings because they don't have the necessary security clearance.

The meetings, which have been held in a high-security room at the Department of Health & Human Services, reportedly have dealt with topics such as the scope of the infections, quarantines, and travel restrictions.

HHS Secretary Alex Azar and his chief of staff Brian Harrison were allowed in the meetings, the officials said, and they reportedly resisted the classification of the gatherings, but were seemingly overruled.

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A fifth source informed Reuters the meetings were classified because of their relationship to China, where the virus originated last year.

An NSC spokesman told Reuters the agency "has insisted on the principle of radical transparency" since the beginning. Read more at Reuters.