More than 110 countries at the World Health Assembly on Monday night backed a resolution calling for an impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation of the international response to the pandemic, which has so far claimed more than 300,000 lives globally.
Health Minister Greg Hunt says the probe needs to protect against the health risks of wildlife wet markets and include all populations or partners.
“We need to learn the lessons from this pandemic and ensure we have the strongest possible global health architecture, with an enhanced ability to prevent and respond to future outbreaks,” he told the assembly.
WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus promised a review would come “at the earliest appropriate moment”.
The United States, India, Japan, Britain, Canada, New Zealand, Indonesia, Russia, and all 27 EU member states are backing Australia’s push for a probe into the pandemic.
Chinese President Xi Jinping also backed a WHO-led review once the virus is under control and said his country had acted with “openness and transparency and responsibility” all along.
“This work needs a scientific and professional attitude, and needs to be led by the WHO,” Xi told the meeting via video.
“And the principles of objectivity and fairness need to be upheld.”
Xi also said China would stump up $3.1 billion over the next two years to help deal with the pandemic.
But his comments came as China’s commerce ministry announced that that all Australian barley imports would be slapped with tariffs totalling 80.5 per cent from today.
Meanwhile, Australia’s coronavirus death toll has hit 100, after a 93-year-old woman died from the illness at the Newmarch House aged care home in Sydney’s west early this morning.
Two people in northwest Tasmania who had tested positive to coronavirus died at the North West Regional Hospital on Sunday and Monday, but authorities have stopped short of labelling the virus as the cause.
The man and woman, both aged in their 60s and with serious pre-existing medical conditions, had been declared recovered from the virus before their deaths.
Both fatalities have been referred to the coroner and until more information has been obtained won’t be counted as coronavirus-related deaths.
With AAP