WHO "Disappointed" over China's Refusal to Allow Entry to Int'l Experts

Today, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) expressed his "Great disappointment" that China did not yet allow in a team of international experts to investigate the origins of the Coronavirus.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a press conference in Geneva: "We learned today that Chinese officials did not yet complete the necessary permits for the team to arrive in China," according to Reuters.

The WHO director-general added that "I have been in contact with senior Chinese officials and I have made it clear that the mission is a priority for the World Health Organization."

The director continued that "I am very disappointed with this news, given that two members had already started their journey and others were unable to travel at the last minute. It has been assured to me that China will expedite the procedures for entering the team as soon as possible."

For months, the WHO has been sending a team of international experts, including epidemiologists and animal health specialists, to China to help investigate the animal origin of the emerging coronavirus pandemic and how it transmitted to humans for the first time.

But the mission is sensitive, and neither the World Health Organization nor China has yet confirmed the exact date of its launch, as the United Nations organization indicated that it will take place during the first week of January, according to AFP.

The WHO director of emergencies, Michael Ryan, said in a briefing on Tuesday that the problem is the lack of visa permits, stressing that Ghebreyesus explained during his discussions with Chinese officials, the "Very critical nature of this matter."

The disease was first discovered in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, in late 2019, before it went beyond the borders of China to cause global chaos, causing the death of more than 1.8 million people and economic collapse.