Australia Asks to Investigate Origins of COVID-19

Australia is seeking backing from the international community for a transnational investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison held calls with US President Donald Trump and other major players, including European powers, although France and Britain said, ‘now was the time to fight the virus, not to apportion blame.’

Morrison wrote on Twitter that he and Trump had "a very constructive discussion” [on the two nations' responses to COVID-19 and the necessity to get economies up and running], "We also talked about the WHO & working together to improve the transparency & effectiveness of the international responses to pandemics," writes Morrison.

Washington, on the other hand, has been ferociously critical of China and even the WHO as they disavowed US funding to the UN agency.

Morrison also held conversations with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron over the phone, where the talks comprised of the role of WHO and how the organization can investigate the origins of the virus.

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has continually stated that it will assess the origins and the managing of the pandemic after the spread ends.

Macron told Morrison now was not the time for an investigation. "He says he agrees that there were some issues at the start, but that the urgency is for cohesion, that it is no time to talk about this, while reaffirming the need for transparency for all players, not only WHO," Macron's spokesperson told Reuters.

By Beka Alexishvili