WHO demands ‘full access’ to China for inquiry into origins of Covid

Pressure is mounting on Beijing to offer up information on the origins of the Covid pandemic.

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned it is ready to send a team of scientists to China to probe how the virus spread to humans and plunge the world into crisis.

An initial investigation by the UN health agency in 2021, which saw a group of scientists travel to Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak, concluded that Covid emerged naturally.

It was criticised due to a lack of cooperation from Beijing, which allegedly refused to discuss the lab leak theory unless the final report stated no further investigation was needed, and withheld key data and samples.

Now, WHO director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has written to Beijing asking for ‘full access’ and that it was ready to send investigators.

We’re pressing China to give full access,’ he told the Financial Times.

‘We have already asked in writing to give us information…and also [are] willing to send a team if they allow us to do so.’