Biden administration suspends funding to Wuhan lab

The Biden administration is suspending all federal funding to the Wuhan Institute of Virology, the Chinese lab at the center of a controversy over the origins of the coronavirus, according to a memo from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) made public by a House subcommittee.

The memo from an HHS official said the facility has repeatedly refused to provide documents and answer questions from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) about safety and security. HHS also told the lab it’s seeking to cut off funding permanently.

The memo, dated Monday, was first reported by Bloomberg.

The Wuhan institute “likely violated protocols of the NIH regarding biosafety is undisputed,” wrote the official, whose name was redacted. “As such, there is risk that WIV not only previously violated, but is currently violating, and will continue to violate, protocols of the NIH on biosafety.”

The institute, which has not received any federal money since 2020, now has 30 days to respond to the notice. 

“Therefore, I have determined that the immediate suspension of WIV is necessary to mitigate any potential public health risk,” the HHS official wrote.