Members of a World Health Orgzation (WHO) delegation investigating the origin of COVID-19 on Sunday visited a market in Wuhan, China where many of the first infections were reported in late 2019.
According to The Hill, Peter Daszak, president of a US-based group EcoHealth Alliance and a member of the delegation, confirmed the visit in a tweet, as did a top official with the International Livestock Research Institute.
Daszak tweeted that the now-shuttered market gave off an air of historical significance and expressed sympathy to those in the city who lost their livelihoods as a result of the outbreak.
"Very important site visits today - a wholesale market first & Huanan Seafood Market just now. Very informative & critical for our joint teams to understand the epidemiology of COVID as it started to spread at the end of 2019," he wrote in a tweet.
He added, "As you walk around Huanan market you feel the sense of historical importance of this place & a sympathy for the vendors & community who lost their livelihoods due to COVID."
Citing multiple media reports, it was reported that while journalists were given the approval to cover the visit, members of the delegation were prevented from meeting with journalists directly.
Beijing has faced criticism for its handling of the outbreak from countries around the world particularly from the United States -- during President Donald Trump's administration -- that demanded that the global community hold China accountable for COVID-19.
As per the latest updates by Johns Hopkins University, the COVID-19 cases across the world stand at 102,757,569 while the fatalities from the virus stand at 2,223,969 worldwide.
( With inputs from ANI )
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