WHO ‘Disappointed’ As China Delays Probe Of Pandemic Origins

WORLD Health Organisation (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
said he was “disappointed” that Chinese officials have not
finalised permission for the arrival of a team of experts into
China to examine the origins of COVID-19.

The WHO head, in a rare critique of Beijing, said members of the
international scientific team have begun over the last 24 hours to
leave their home countries to head to China as part of an
arrangement between the WHO and the Chinese government.

“Today, we learned that Chinese officials have not yet finalised
the necessary permissions for the team’s arrival in China,” he told
a news conference in Geneva.

“I’m very disappointed with this news, given that two members
had already begun their journeys and others were not able to travel
at the last minute, but had been in contact with senior Chinese
officials.”

Tedros said he had “made it clear” that the mission was a
priority for the UN health agency, and he had been “assured that
China is speeding up the internal procedures for the earliest
possible deployment”.

“We are eager to get the mission under way as soon as possible,”
he said.

The experts, drawn from around the world, are expected to visit
the city of Wuhan, which is suspected as the place where the
coronavirus first emerged over a year ago.

WORLD Health Organisation (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
said he was “disappointed” that Chinese officials have not
finalised permission for the arrival of a team of experts into
China to examine the origins of COVID-19.

The WHO head, in a rare critique of Beijing, said members of the
international scientific team have begun over the last 24 hours to
leave their home countries to head to China as part of an
arrangement between the WHO and the Chinese government.

“Today, we learned that Chinese officials have not yet finalised
the necessary permissions for the team’s arrival in China,” he told
a news conference in Geneva.

“I’m very disappointed with this news, given that two members
had already begun their journeys and others were not able to travel
at the last minute, but had been in contact with senior Chinese
officials.”

Tedros said he had “made it clear” that the mission was a
priority for the UN health agency, and he had been “assured that
China is speeding up the internal procedures for the earliest
possible deployment”.

“We are eager to get the mission under way as soon as possible,”
he said.

The experts, drawn from around the world, are expected to visit
the city of Wuhan, which is suspected as the place where the
coronavirus first emerged over a year ago.