WHO chief 'disappointed' as team probing virus origins denied entry to China

An international team of scientists travelling on behalf of World Health Organisation (WHO) to Wuhan in order to trace COVID-19 virus origin has been denied entry to China. UN health body chief Tedros Adham Ghebreyesus has said that he is "very disappointed" with news. Two members of team are already on ir way to China and ors had to cancel ir trip at last moment.  

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'Very disappointed' 

arrangements to allow a WHO team to travel to China were reached after months of negotiations with Beijing, however, it seems that secretive Communist State never really wanted a foreign probe on its soil to trace virus origin. China has been accused of covering up true origin of COVID-19 pandemic, which is believed to have originated in Wuhan's seafood market, allegedly run illegally. After months of denial by Beijing, it was agreed that an international team will be allowed to travel to Wuhan to investigate origin of virus, almost a year after virus first came into light. 

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"This was as per arrangements jointly developed between WHO, Chinese government, and countries for which team was meant to travel through on ir way to Wuhan. Today we learned that Chinese officials have t yet finalised necessary permissions for team’s arrival in China. I am very disappointed with this news given that two members had already begun ir journeys and ors were t able to travel at last minute," Tedros Adham told reporters during a press briefing on Tuesday. 

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Earlier, it was reported that China has refused to disclose exact date and or details of visit, including places where investigators will be allowed to visit and people y will be allowed to meet. China has claimed that details of visit, including dates, were still being finalised internally. WHO chief said that he has been in contact with senior Chinese officials, who have assured him speeding up of internal procedure for earliest possible deployment.   

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