Wuhan under Covid scrutiny, China set to build more bio labs

China has operationalised its new biosecurity law to fortify the legal cover for the establishment and safe operation of more bio labs in the country. The move comes amidst questions whether the Covid-19 originated from such a laboratory in Wuhan.

The coronavirus emerged in China's central Wuhan city in December 2019.

Beijing has said that under the new Biosecurity Law, China will continue to build and approve more labs specialising in advanced pathogenic microbiology.

The US has alleged that the Covid-19 may have emanated from the Wuhan Institute of Virology lab, but China has strongly denied the charge.

A team of WHO experts, which probed the origin of the coronavirus, concluded last month that "all hypotheses" included the allegation that Covid-19 could have emanated from a bio lab "remained open".