WHO pushes for China lab audits in COVID origin probe
July 17, 2021
The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that the next stage in the investigation of the coronavirus origin should cover further studies in China and lab "audits."
In a briefing to member states, the UN health agency listed its research priorities for the next phase of the investigation.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said one of those priorities should be "audits of relevant laboratories and research institutions operating in the area of the initial human cases identified in December 2019."
He also suggested more studies to be carried out in and around the animal markets in Wuhan, where coronavirus cases were first detected in late 2019.
Investigators should focus on "studies prioritizing geographic areas with the earliest indication of circulation of SARS CoV-2," Ghebreyesus said.
The WHO had managed to send a team of independent investigators and international experts to Wuhan in January, amid heightened pressure to probe the pandemic origins.
The report from what was the first phase of the investigation was published in late March and found no conclusions as to how the novel coronavirus first jumped to humans.
Here are some more of the latest coronavirus-related stories from around the world:
Europe
French tourists and travel industry responded with anger after the UK announced that travelers from France must isolate for 10 days when entering Britain, even when they are fully vaccinated.
Late on Friday, British officials said they were singling out France because the beta variant of the coronavirus has been detected in the EU country. The variant is believed to be more resistant to vaccines. It currently accounts for about 10% of all coronavirus infections in France.
Meanwhile, UK Health Minister Sajid Javid says he has tested positive for COVID-19 using a rapid test. Javid said he was self-isolating while waiting for results from a more accurate PCR test. He said he was grateful that he was fully vaccinated and that he had only mild symptoms.
Javid's predecessor, Matt Hancock, was also ill with COVID-19 last year early on in the pandemic, while Prime Minister Boris Johnson was treated for the disease in intensive care for several days in April 2020.
Germany confirmed 1,608 new cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours and reported 22 new deaths, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute. The latest figures put the country's total infections at 3,743,389 and the death toll at 91,359.
Cities in northeastern Spain, including Barcelona, will reimpose a night-time curfew starting this weekend to curb the rising cases of the highly contagious delta variant of the virus.
The curfew, aimed at discouraging social gatherings on beaches and in parks, comes after the measure won court approval on Friday.
The nightly curfew will be in force between 1:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. in areas where infection rates surpass 400 cases per 100,000 inhabitants over a seven-day period.
Slovakia tightened its quarantine regulations for unvaccinated people entering the country. Starting from Monday, only people who are fully vaccinated will be allowed to enter the country without having to undergo quarantine.
The quarantine lasts 14 days, with an early end possible from the fifth day onwards through testing.
Asia-Pacific
Tokyo Olympics organizer said the first resident of the Olympic Village has tested positive for COVID-19, just a week before the opening of the Games on July 23.
Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto confirmed that the person was not an athlete but a visitor from abroad who was involved in organizing the Games. Officials offered few details citing privacy concerns.
They said the person was placed in a 14-day quarantine.
Thailand imposed a nationwide ban on public gatherings in light of the record number of cases and deaths, despite a partial lockdown in Bangkok and other provinces. Authorities are also looking into more restrictions on movement.
The ban has been imposed with a maximum penalty of a two-year jail term or a fine of up to 40,000 baht ($1,220, €1,033) or both, according to a royal decree.
Australia's largest city, Sydney, tightened restrictions, ordering a shutdown of building sites, banning non-essential retail, and threatening fines for employers who make staff come into the office.
New cases of coronavirus have continued to rise despite three weeks of a citywide lockdown.
South Korea reported more than 1,000 new cases for the 11th consecutive day, as authorities push to tighten restrictions. The surge is mostly driven by transmissions in the greater Seoul region, which is home to half the country's population of about 51 million.
The Korean Disease Control and Prevention Agency reported 1,455 new infections, taking the national count to 176,500. The country has also reported a total of 2,055 deaths.
Americas
The United States on Friday announced that it will be shipping 25 million Covid-19 vaccine doses to Africa to fight the Delta variant.
Burkina Faso, Djibouti, and Ethiopia will be the first countries to benefit from the shipment which will go out within days. A senior Biden administration official said a total of 49 African nations will be receiving doses of Johnson & Johnson, Moderna or Pfizer vaccines.
on, adi/dj (AFP, AP, Reuters)