US intelligence on origin of pandemic declassified within 90 days | Coronavirus

An act of Congress orders the declassification of documents on the origin of the pandemic. (File photo)

The United States Congress on Friday passed a law that orders US intelligence services to declassify their information about the origin of the pandemic, as the hypothesis of a laboratory leak returned to the foreground.

Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines will then have 90 days to declassify any information about potential links between the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the ;origin of the coronavirus.

A new coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, emerged more than three years ago in this Chinese province before spreading around the world, where it has killed at least 7 million people.

The scientific and intelligence communities immediately sought to determine its origin, to better prevent and combat a future pandemic.

Hearing this week in Congress, Avril Haines pointed out that there was a broad consensus that it was neither a biological weapon nor genetic manipulation. .

But the US intelligence community is divided between proponents of a lab leak and those of exposure to a contaminated animal, he said. she called back.

US National Intelligence Director Avril Haines. (File photo)

The first hypothesis, hotly disputed by the Chinese authorities, has gained credence recently, after being deemed the most likely by the director of police (FBI), Christopher Wray, and the Department of Energy.

In the process, the World Health Organization (WHO) urged all countries, including the United States, to share their information on the origin of COVID-19.