Australia demands coronavirus enquiry, adding to pressure on China, WHO
(VOVWORLD) - Australia on Sunday added to growing pressure on China over its handling of the novel coronavirus, questioning its transparency and demanding an international investigation into the origins of the virus and how it spread.
 Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne. (Photo: AP/VOV) |
“The issues around the coronavirus are issues for independent review, and I think that it is important that we do that. In fact, Australia will absolutely insist on that,” Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne told ABC television.
Payne said her concern about China’s transparency was at a “a very high point”.
"It will need parties, countries to come to the table with a willingness to be transparent and to engage in that process and to ensure that we have a review mechanism in which the international community can have faith," she said, stressing she does not believe the World Health Organisation should be involved.
“I'm not sure you can have the health organisation responsible for disseminating much of the international communications material and doing much of the early investigative work' conducting the inquiry,” she said.
Minister Payne hopes an independent review committee will instead be tasked with determining the genesis of the virus and whether there was any mishandling of the way information was spread internationally.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said there had been "very valid" criticism of the WHO and the Federal Government was reviewing how it engaged with the organisation.
Australia reported 53 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday. They took its total to 6,586, according to the health ministry data.