In its second interim report, the Swiss Independent Panel on Pandemic Preparedness and Response determined that Beijing could have been more forceful in the application of social measures when cases were first detected in the city of Wuhan in the province of Hubei.
“What is clear to the panel is that social health measures could be applied more forcefully by local and national health authorities in China in January (2020),” the report said.
According to the city authorities, the first cases in Wuhan took place between December 12 and December 29, 2019. The cases were only reported to the WHO on 31 December. By the time Wuhan was shut down on January 23, 2020, the virus had already spread to Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and the United States.
Several countries, notably the US and Australia, have accused Beijing of underestimating the severity of the outbreak in its early stages, and of responding effectively until it was too late.
The independent panel, chaired by former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark and former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, also criticized the WHO for its delays in raising alarm, and called for reforms at the UN agency.
Despite being warned about the issues by the end of December, the WHO first convened its emergency committee until 22 January 2020 – and then waited until 30 January before declaring an international emergency.
“It is not clear why the committee only met in the third week of January, nor is it clear why it could not agree on the declaration of a public health emergency of international importance,” the report said. .
“Although the term pandemic is not used or defined in the International Health Regulations (2005), it does serve to draw attention to the seriousness of a health event,” the report states.
It concluded that the WHO “is underprivileged to do the job it expects.” The WHO has a “very limited” power to confirm reports of outbreaks of disease for pandemic potential, or to deploy support in local areas.
The review panel, which is expected to submit a final report to the World Health Assembly in May, should reach the “international community” for a “global recovery” in tackling pandemics.