US to scrutinize WHO report that rules out COVID-19 came from Chinese lab

By Reuters

The Biden administration is looking forward to scrutinizing data included in a World Health Organization report released on Tuesday that said the COVID-19 virus did not originate in a laboratory

in Wuhan, China, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.

The head of a WHO-led team probing the origins of COVID-19 said bats remain a likely source and that transmission of the virus via frozen food is a possibility that warrants further investigation. He ruled out a lab leak.

Psaki told reporters at a press briefing on Tuesday that the administration was not involved in the “planning and implementation” of the investigation and wants to take an independent review of its findings and underlying data.

She added that even though the administration rejoined the WHO, it is “imperative that we have our own team of experts on the ground” in China.