US President Signs Bill Ordering Covid-19 Origin

US President Joe Biden has signed a bill that requires the declassification of information related to the origins of   Covid-19.

President Biden said he shared Congress’ goal of releasing as much information as possible about the origin of Covid-19.

“In implementing this legislation, my administration will declassify and share as much of that information as possible, consistent with my constitutional authority to protect against the disclosure of information that would harm national security,” he said in a statement.

The bill sailed through the Senate and House of Representatives without opposition before being sent to the White House.

Washington has been conducting a highly politicised debate about the origins of the coronavirus pandemic almost since the first human cases were reported in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019, amid calls from both Biden’s fellow Democrats and Republicans to push back harder against a rising China.

Reuters/ Mercy Chukwudiebere