White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said more information was needed and the US has repeatedly called for the WHO to support an expert evaluation of the pandemic's origins that is free from interference of politicization.

She said Washington does not have enough data and information to jump to a conclusion at this time but is hopeful that the WHO can move into a more transparent, independent Phase 2 investigation.

China said it is completely untrue that three researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) became sick in autumn 2019 and denied the theory that the virus had spread from a lab leak in Wuhan.