China To Allow US Health Experts In WHO Team Amid Rising Death Toll Due To Coronavirus Outbreak

In a bid to contain the Coronavirus outbreak, China has agreed to allow health experts from the United States into the country as part of a World Health Organisation (WHO) team to study and help combat the deadly disease, reports Economic Times.

As many as 425 people have been killed due to the novel Coronavirus in China as the number of those infected have crossed over 20,000.

According to the report, the White House on Monday (3 January) informed that China had accepted its offer to include US experts as part of the WHO mission to study and combat the virus that originated in Wuhan city, the capital of China’s Hubei province.

Earlier last week, the WHO had declared the Coronavirus outbreak as an International Health Emergency as the virus started spreading in other countries as well. The novel Coronavirus has reportedly spread in around 23 countries and regions.

The move by China to accept US experts in WHO panel comes amid the Chinese officials accusing US of spreading fear by pulling its citizens out and severely restricting travel.

Noting that WHO had advised against trade and travel restrictions, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that Washington has “unceasingly manufactured and spread panic”.

"It is precisely developed countries like the United States with strong epidemic prevention capabilities and facilities that have taken the lead in imposing excessive restrictions contrary to WHO recommendations," Chunying was quoted in the report as saying.