■ A WHO probe into the origins of the pandemic will start in Wuhan, China.
Investigation to seek origins of pandemic
BEIJING — World Health Organization experts will visit the city of Wuhan, where the coronavirus was first detected in late 2019, at the start of their investigation into the origins of the pandemic, China said Tuesday.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the experts will arrive in Wuhan on Thursday. Other details of their schedule haven’t been announced, and the central government’s National Health Commission offered no further information.
The visit has been expected for months. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed frustration last week that arrangements were taking so long to finalize. After China announced the visit Monday, Tedros said the scientists, who come from several nations, will focus on how the coronavirus first jumped to people.
“Studies will begin in Wuhan to identify the potential source of infection of the early cases,” he said.
China has rejected calls for an independent investigation while strictly controlling all research into the origins of the coronavirus and promoting fringe theories that the virus may have actually been brought to China from outside.
The culture of secrecy is believed to have delayed warnings about the pandemic, blocked the sharing of information with WHO and hampered early testing. There was considerable frustration among WHO officials over not getting the information they needed to fight the spread of the deadly virus, the AP has found.
The virus’ origins have been the source of intense speculation, much of it centered around the likelihood that it was carried by bats and passed to humans through an intermediary species sold as food or medicine in traditional Chinese markets.
China largely brought the virus’ local spread under control last spring but is currently dealing with a new outbreak in the province of Hebei adjacent to Beijing. Travel to and from three cities, including the provincial capital Shijiazhuang, Xingtai and Langfang south of Beijing, has been suspended and residents of some communities have been told to stay home for the next week. In other developments:
■ Canada’s most populous province of Ontario is issuing a stay-athome starting Thursday, with exemptions for essential activities such as accessing health care or shopping for groceries. Premier Doug Ford said he’s declaring another state of emergency effective immediately.
■ The European Medicines Agency said Tuesday that AstraZeneca and Oxford University have submitted an application for their COVID-19 vaccine to be licensed across the European Union. The EU regulator said it received a request for the vaccine to be greenlighted under an expedited process and that it could be approved by Jan. 29 “provided that the data submitted on the quality, safety and efficacy of the vaccine are sufficiently robust and complete.”
■ Spain received the first doses of the Moderna vaccine against the coronavirus on Tuesday despite the challenges of a record snowfall and cold temperatures have brought to land and air transportation.
■ Portuguese president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has tested negative for the coronavirus in results of two consecutive tests disclosed Tuesday, a day after a single positive result.
■ Swiss regulators have approved the Moderna coronavirus vaccine for use after clearing the Biontech-pfizer vaccine last month. Switzerland’s Swissmedic agency says the Moderna vaccine, which was OK’D by the European Union last week, was approved for all adults over 18.
■ Tunisia’s government is imposing a nationwide four-day anti-coronavirus lockdown starting Thursday, which coincides with the anniversary of the toppling of the country’s autocratic leader 10 years ago.