US, WHO press Beijing for more pandemic data

WASHINGTON – The United States and a World Health Organisation (WHO) expert yesterday demanded more data from Beijing on the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, after a mission by the health body to China struggled to make headway.

A team of WHO experts and their Chinese counterparts visited key sites around the city of Wuhan, where Covid-19 cases were first detected, but said they were unable to shed light on the nature of early transmissions.

US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said his country has “deep concerns” about the early findings of the investigation.

Peter Ben Embarek, who led the WHO mission, told AFP that his team has asked for more data, adding: “There is a mix of frustration, but also a mix of realistic expectations in terms of what is feasible under which time frame.” 

Experts believe the disease – which has killed nearly 2.4 million people worldwide – originated in bats, and could have been transmitted to humans via another mammal.

While the virus was first discovered in Wuhan in December 2019, it remains unclear if that was when and where the contagion actually began.

The fallout comes as Europe’s death toll topped 800,000, and concerns over coronavirus variants that first emerged in Britain and South Africa forced ever tighter border controls.

‘Nobody wants this’

Germany is ramping up its border security, closing its frontiers with the Czech Republic and parts of Austria.

Portugal, among the world’s hardest-hit nations, yesterday extended the suspension of flights from Britain and Brazil to March 1.

On Friday, the government in Lisbon extended border controls with neighbouring Spain until March 1. 

The pandemic has also hit international sporting events, with the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne forced to continue without spectators, as Victoria state enters its third lockdown since the pandemic began. 

“The feeling is completely different – nobody wants this,” said Spanish great Rafa Nadal, referring to the 15,000 empty seats that faced him at Rod Laver Arena. – AFP, February 14, 2021