Becerra tells WHO it 'must' launch more 'transparent' investigation into COVID origin

Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra on Tuesday told the World Health Organization (WHO) that it "must" launch a more "transparent" investigation into the origins of the coronavirus amid mounting evidence that the virus may have escaped from the Wuhan Institute of Virology lab in China.

"The COVID-19 pandemic not only stole a year from our lives, it stole millions of lives," Becerra said in an address to the World Health Assembly, a conference organized by the WHO. "Now we must honor our departed by taking urgent action this year -- to strengthen health security and pandemic preparedness so that we are better prepared for the next global health crisis." "We must also do more to understand our current pandemic," Becerra said. "Phase 2 of the COVID origins study must be launched with terms of reference that are transparent, science-based, and give international experts the independence to fully assess the source of the virus and the early days of the outbreak."