Nearly 120 nations now back push for coronavirus origin probe
DHARAMSALA, 18 May: Almost 120 nations have now backed an international push for the probe of the coronavirus origin ahead of the WHO’s biggest annual meet, media reports said.
The draft of the motion that calls for probe into the pandemic that has killed over 315,822 people globally and WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, was also signed by India among others.
While media reports stated that the EU draft was backed by 62 nations yesterday, over 50 African nations have now joined the wagon that seeks.
The World Health Assembly, the WHO’s key policy-making body meeting is scheduled to be held via video conference, a first of its kind compelled by pandemic on Monday afternoon, at 3.30 pm IST.
The resolution seeks a probe into the source of the virus, now called Sars-CoV-2, and the route of its introduction to the human population, reports the Hindustan Times.
While China has been constantly accused of concealing the COVID-19 that was originated from Wuhan, the sprawling capital of Central China’s Hubei province during the early days of its detection last year, Beijing has maintained that it could have originated somewhere else, pointing fingers at the US.
Australia has played a lead role in building support for the resolution that targets China, and Greg Hunt, the Health Minister of the largest country in Oceania has stated that it is “expected to be endorsed” at the World Health Assembly in the next two days.
