The WHO Team Will Visit The Huanan Market, Which Is Suspected Of Being The Source Of The Corona Virus In Wuhan

JAKARTA - A team of experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) investigating the origin of COVID-19 in the city of Wuhan, central China, is expected to visit the Huanan market on Sunday, January 31, the seafood wholesale center where the coronavirus was first discovered.

Public access to the market - which is now closely guarded by officers - has been severely restricted since the market closed early last year. Previously, the market, which sold various kinds of meat, seafood and vegetables, was busy.

Several Chinese diplomats and state media have said they believe the market is not the source of the coronavirus. They also support the theory that the virus could have originated from another country.

On 31 December 2019 after four cases of mystery pneumonia were linked to the Huanan market, the place was immediately closed. Until the end of January, Wuhan was under lockdown for 76 days.

Experts argue that the Huanan market still has a role to play in tracing the origin of the virus as the first cluster of cases was detected at that location.

After the two-week quarantine in the city ended on Thursday, the WHO team is expected to visit laboratories, markets and hospitals in Wuhan.

No exact travel agenda has yet been announced, but according to WHO, the team plans to visit the Huanan market and the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

The WHO investigation in Wuhan ran into several obstacles, such as delays, concerns over access and a debate between China and the United States, which accused China of hiding the spread of COVID-19 at the start of the pandemic. The United States has also criticized the terms of the visit, which Chinese experts also followed when conducting the first phase of research.

The WHO team was previously scheduled to arrive in Wuhan in early January. The postponement of the visit by the Chinese government drew open criticism that the WHO chief rarely did. WHO itself has been accused by former US President Donald Trump of "being oriented towards China".