Coronavirus: WHO investigator cleared for China as quarantined team starts work online

Beijing says one of two experts still in Singapore was negative in a second round of Covid-19 antibody tests but the other scientist was positive

Team members in Wuhan teleconference with Chinese counterparts

2-MIN READ2-MIN

Members of a WHO team arrive in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province on Thursday. Photo: AP

Published: 8:03pm, 15 Jan 2021Updated: 11:09pm, 15 Jan 2021

China is arranging for a WHO coronavirus investigation team member to fly to Wuhan after the scientist tested negative in a second round of antibody checks.

The expert was one of two scientists on the team who were not allowed to board a flight from Singapore to the central Chinese city on Thursday after returning a positive result to an initial antibody test.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Friday that the second scientist was still positive in the second round of tests.

“China agreed to a second round of IgM antibody testing for the relevant experts to be conducted. The results showed that the British expert tested negative, while the Qatari expert was still positive,” Zhao said.

“We have already agreed to let the British expert come to China. We will continue to communicate with the WHO on the relevant matters as we work hard for both parties to jointly conduct the investigation into the origins of the coronavirus,” he said without specifying the date of arrival.

Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said two members of the international mission remained in the country, “pending discussions between the WHO and Beijing on their eligibility to proceed to join the mission”.