WHO experts to arrive in China for COVID-19 origin tracing probe

As agreed by the two sides, the World Health Organization (WHO) will send experts to China on Thursday and work with Chinese experts to investigate the origin of COVID-19, said China’s National Health Commission (NHC).

The details of the group’s itinerary have not been publicized. But Chinese health officials said on Saturday that they would go together with the WHO team to Wuhan to launch an investigation of the virus’ origin.

This arrangement indicates that China has always been open, supportive and positive toward the

WHO’s investigations, said Wang

Guangfa, a respiratory expert at Peking University First

Hospital.

Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for

China’s Ministry of

Foreign Affairs, confirmed the WHO’s visit to China at a press conference on Monday afternoon. Zhao noted since the COVID-19 outbreak, China, in an open, transparent and responsible manner, has maintained close communication and cooperation with the

WHO on the origin tracing probe.

Zhao said that the tracing of the coronavirus’ origin is likely to involve multiple countries with more and deepened understanding of the virus and more cases detected in the very early stage of the outbreak, and the WHO will need to conduct similar probe in other countries and regions.

China is ready to continue its close cooperation with the WHO and international medical experts in this regard and contribute to the global tracing probe, Zhao said.

“We welcome China’s announcement regarding the international team examining the origins of the virus that causes COVID-19. We look forward to working closely with our counterparts on this critical mission to identify the virus source and its route of introduction to the human population,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tweeted on Monday.

We welcome China’s announcement regarding the international team examining the origins of the virus that causes COVID-19.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus