U.S. Embassy officials warned in January 2018 about inadequate safety at the Wuhan Institute of Virology lab

A Chinese laboratory at the center of new theories about how the coronavirus pandemic started was the subject of multiple urgent warnings inside the U.S. State Department two years ago, according to a new report.

U.S. Embassy officials warned in January 2018 about inadequate safety at the Wuhan Institute of Virology lab and passed on information about scientists conducting risky research on coronavirus from bats, The Washington Post reported Tuesday.

IF CHINA ACTED EARLIER, CORONAVIRUS CASES COULD HAVE BEEN CUT BY AS MUCH AS 95 PERCENT, FDA CHIEF

Those cables have renewed speculation inside the U.S. government about whether Wuhan-based labs were the source of the novel coronavirus, although no firm connection has been established. The theory, however, has gained traction in recent days.

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