World Health Organization Director General: "It is very disappointing that China does not allow a delegation of expert scientists to enter the country" • Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman: "The visit has not been canceled, there is a delay in issuing entry permits and negotiations are underway."
Wuhan Shopping Center, last week
Photography:
AFP
Despite promises to cooperate, World Health Organization Director General Theodros Adhanum Gavra-Yesus announced today (Wednesday) that China has prevented an international team of scientists from entering its territory to investigate the source of the spread of the corona virus in the city of Wuhan.
"I am very disappointed with this news. We have been in contact for a long time and in negotiations with the Chinese officials and I have made it clear over and over again that this research is a top priority of the organization," said Theodros. as soon as possible".
Two scientists from the team had already arrived in China after leaving their countries, but in practice did not receive a residence permit in the country.
This is despite the fact that the World Health Organization has already informed China in advance of their arrival.
"Ready to go at any moment"
Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of the organization's health emergency program, said "there is a problem with the staff's visas, two scientists have already returned home and one is still waiting in China."
However, Ryan expressed hope that at the end of the regime in China he would allow entry and that "this is a misunderstanding and not something else."
It is important to note that World Health Organization officials have long been waging an effort to persuade the Chinese government to introduce such an external delegation.
The organization went out of its way to ensure that researchers would not be biased and clarified that these are completely independent people who do not come to China to mark it in advance as the spread of the plague.
The closure on the city of Wuhan was lifted // Archive photo: Reuters
Appointed head of the World Health Organization's delegation is renowned virologist Marion Kaufmans, who heads the Department of Viral Sciences at Erasmus University in Rotterdam.
She noted that "we are ready to go at any moment. We do not have a stressful time frame. We will talk to Chinese scientists and residents of the region to understand what happened. The possibility of transmitting an animal virus to humans exists in every country, and it is important for us to understand the mechanism to spread it. Lessons learned. "
"Negotiating"
Meanwhile, in China it is claimed that the delay is purely technical and that the delegation will be able to carry out its work eventually.
A spokesman for the local Foreign Ministry said: "We have always had an open and open approach to the disease. World Health Organization scientists have already had some interactions with us. "Specific relevant arrangements have been established. Therefore, the visit has not been canceled, but both parties are still negotiating on this issue."
In any case, it is difficult not to treat Chinese conduct as a pressure and as an attempt to shake off criticism in light of the fact that the US, Australia and other countries accuse China of lacking transparency in dealing with the virus. Is not in the country.
This is why China tests and disinfects any frozen food product that comes to it, even though experts have questioned infection as a result of edible food and the World Health Organization has ruled out that possibility.