PREPARATION ON FOR WHO PROBE INTO ORIGIN OF VIRUS: CHINA

China confirmed on Saturday that preparations were still ongoing for a WHO mission to Wuhan to investigate the origins of Covid-19, following a rare rebuke from the UN body over a delay to the long-planned trip.

The comments came after WHO chief Tedros Adhanom said on Tuesday he was “very disappointed” that Beijing had yet to finalise permission as the team of experts had begun travelling to China to explore the beginnings of the coronavirus. National Health Commission vice minister Zeng Yixin said, “We are ready here. As long as these experts confirm their schedule, we will go to Wuhan together to carry out investigations,” he said.

BEIJING/WASHINGTON: China confirmed on Saturday that preparations were still ongoing for a World Health Organization (WHO) mission to Wuhan to investigate the origins of Covid-19, following a rare rebuke from the UN body over a delay to the long-planned trip.

The comments came after WHO chief Tedros Adhanom said on Tuesday he was “very disappointed” that Beijing had yet to finalise permission as the team of experts had begun travelling to China to explore the beginnings of the coronavirus.

On Saturday, National Health Commission vice minister Zeng Yixin said, “The specific time is being determined, we are ready here. As long as these experts complete the procedures and confirm their schedule, we will go to Wuhan together to carry out investigations,” he said.

In the US, a new, more infectious strain of the coronavirus has spread to at least eight US states, official data showed on Friday. The B.1.1.7 strain, which emerged in Britain late last year, has been shown to be between 40% and 70% more contagious than variants which have spread previously. Data from the US CDC showed on Friday that the strain has been detected in eight states, with California and Florida the worst affected.

The pandemic continued to rage across America as the country logged a record new daily virus caseload. Almost 290,000 new cases were reported in the United Status within 24 hours on Friday according to Johns Hopkins University, a day after the world’s worst-hit nation recorded a daily record of nearly 4,000 deaths.