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Experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) want to investigate the origins of the coronavirus in China. But China has apparently blocked the entry of experts due to a lack of entry documents. “I am very disappointed with this news,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in an unusually clear criticism of China. “It’s very frustrating,” said emergency aid coordinator Michael Ryan.
Two experts had already started the trip on Tuesday, two more had to stop their departure at the last minute, Tedros said. One of those who had already left has returned home, the second interrupted the trip in a third country, Ryan said. Contrary to the agreement, Beijing announced at short notice that the necessary entry documents were not yet available. “We learned today that the Chinese authorities have not yet completed the necessary permits for the equipment to arrive in China,” Tedros said.
He had made it clear to “senior Chinese officials” that the mission was a “priority for the WHO” and the international investigation team, Tedros said. He had been assured that China would speed up the processes for the earliest possible start of the mission.
WHO has been negotiating with China for months
WHO has been negotiating this expert mission with China for months. The discussions progressed slowly. Each expert must be confirmed by the Chinese side before the team can start working. Experts want to travel to the central Chinese metropolis of Wuhan, where the virus was first detected in the vicinity of a market.
The ten experts selected by WHO come from Germany and the Netherlands from Japan, Qatar, Vietnam, Russia, Australia, Denmark, Great Britain and the United States and represent different disciplines. Virologists are represented, along with public and animal health professionals.
Chinese authorities have been casting doubt for months that the virus even originated in China. State media referred to unconfirmed reports that there were possible Sars-CoV-2 infections in other countries before the first cases were discovered in Wuhan in early December 2019.
