“Chinese authorities have not issued the necessary permits to experts from the World Health Organization (WHO), who plan to travel to the country to find out the origin of COVID-19,” the head of WHO, Tedros Adan Ghebreyesus said, RIA Novosti reported.

Earlier, the WHO press service reported that an international group of experts will leave for China in January.

“Today we learned that the Chinese authorities have not yet given the necessary permits to allow the team to enter the country. We are very disappointed with this news, considering that two members of this group have already left and the rest have postponed their departure at the last minute,” the statement said.

It is noted that during his contacts with senior Chinese leaders, he made it clear that this mission is the main task of the WTO. “I have been assured that China is speeding up its internal procedures in order to receive the group as soon as possible,” he said.