WHO Team To Visit China on January 14 to Probe Origin of COVID-19

Beijing, January 11: A team of experts of the World Health Organisation (WHO) will visit on January 14 to gather details about the origin of COVID-19. Chinese health authorities confirmed the development to global news agency AFP. The development came days after WHO Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed disappointment as members of the team had left their homes and permission has not yet been finalised by Chinese officials.

"We learned that Chinese officials have not yet finalised the necessary permissions for the team's arrival in China," reported Associated Press quoting WHO Chief as Saying on January 6. Two members of the team had already begun their journeys but were not able to travel to China had not finalised the permission that time.

Tweet by AFP:

Responding to WHO's statement, Chinese authorities acknowledged that there could be some "misunderstanding" between China and the WHO. The delay by China to finalise the WHO team's arrival is fuelling concern that Beijing is obstructing global efforts to trace the origins of COVID-19.

Notably, the WHO and the Chinese government had signed an agreement for giving permission to the international team for examining the origin of COVID-19. In the annual meeting of the World Health Assembly (WHA), which was held in May this year, passed a unanimous resolution to probe the origin of the virus. The WHA is the decision-making body of the Geneva-based WHO. China had also backed the resolution.

The first case of coronavirus was detected in China's Hubei province in November 2019. A 55-year-old from Hubei province was reportedly the first person to be infected by coronavirus On November 17, 2019.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 11, 2021 12:04 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).