Without a full and transparent investigation into the origins of covid-19, we are at greater risk of a disastrous new outbreak. By impeding efforts to trace the origins of the virus, Beijing is endangering its own population along with the rest of the world. Even with a full investigation, the limited access to data and to key sites in China in the early days of the pandemic makes any investigation more difficult—this must be addressed for any future outbreaks. The Government should work with...

Without a full and transparent investigation into the origins of covid-19, we are at greater risk of a disastrous new outbreak. By impeding efforts to trace the origins of the virus, Beijing is endangering its own population along with the rest of the world. Even with a full investigation, the limited access to data and to key sites in China in the early days of the pandemic makes any investigation more difficult—this must be addressed for any future outbreaks. The Government should work with other countries to increase the WHO’s powers to independently access countries where an outbreak has been reported, mirroring the work of the Internatio Type: recommendation | Number: 5 | Paragraph: 16 | Response status: under_consideration Government response: We have been clear that a transparent, independent and science-led investigation into the origins of COVID-19 must be an important part of the international effort to understand how the pandemic started and how it spread. We are working w