US Goes After Wuhan Institute, ‘Progenitor’ of Corona Virus, Funding Halted

Washington. The Biden administration froze federal funding for China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology, believed to be responsible for the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. According to Bloomberg News, the United States took this step after the lab failed to provide documents on safety measures.

According to the memo, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) notified the Wuhan Institute of the suspension on Monday and also informed the lab that it intended to close it permanently. After a review that began last September, HHS found that the facility, located in Wuhan, China, did not comply with federal regulations.

An HHS spokesperson said in an emailed statement that the action ensures the institution will no longer receive federal funding. The lab has not received any money from the National Institute of Health since July 2020.

The punishment is the most severe the United States has ever meted out to a lab for failing to share documents on biosafety practices as part of an ongoing investigation into the origins of COVID-19. The institute has become the focus of discussion on the start of the Covid pandemic, which has killed nearly seven million people. Some, including FBI Director Christopher Wray, suspect it may have come from the Wuhan lab.

Although the United States has found no conclusive evidence that the virus was transmitted from animals to humans or emerged from a laboratory accident, it has identified significant breaches of safety protocols at the Wuhan Institute. The United States has also accused China and the lab of obstructing the investigation into these shortcomings.

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Tags: China, corona virus, Joe Biden, Wuhan Laboratory