- A board stated that Chinese executives could have implemented public health criteria more vigorously to restrain the initial Covid-19 outbreak.
- It suspected why the WHO’s emergency council did not act till the third week of January.
TheNewsDesk, Geneva: On Monday, a panel stated that Chinese executives could have implemented public health criteria more vigorously in January to subdue the initial Covid-19 outbreak. They further reprimanded the WHO for not unveiling a global crisis till January 30. The panel was led by former New Zealand PM Helen Clark and former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. They were asked for reformations to the UN bureau.
Their interim statement was issued, hours after the WHO’s top emergency expert, Mike Ryan. It stated that worldwide virus deaths were awaited, to top 100,000 per week “very soon.” The statement was about the initial outbreak in Wuhan, “What is clear to the panel is that public health measures could have been applied more forcefully by local and national health authorities in China in January.” As evidence transpired of communicable transmission, “in far too many countries, this signal was ignored.”
It suspected why the WHO’s emergency council did not act till the third week of January and did not disclose a global emergency until its second meeting on January 30. The report stated, “It was not until 11 March that WHO used the term.” It further stated, “The pandemic alert system is not fit for purpose.” “The WHO has been underpowered to do the job.”
Source- Economic Times