“It’s unfathomable”: Scott Morrison responds to WHO decision
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has torn into the World Health Organisation for the “unfathomable” decision as WHO supports the reopening of China’s wet markets.
As experts believe that the new coronavirus originated at a wet market in the Chinese city of Wuhan, closure of the wet markets would be ideal. However, WHO says that it does not support the closure of the markets as “they are a source of livelihood and food security to many people”.
Morrison has rejected this idea wholeheartedly as he spoke to Nine’s Today.
“It’s unfathomable, frankly,” Mr Morrison explained.
“We need to protect the world against potential sources of outbreaks of these types of viruses. It’s happened too many times. I’m totally puzzled by this decision. We don’t have them here in Australia. I am just puzzled by that decision.”
Health Minister Greg Hunt is also baffled by China’s plans to reopen the markets.
"There is a very real likelihood that this disease arose from a wet market in Wuhan – it's clear that these are dangerous vectors," Mr Hunt told the ABC.
"So we might disagree on this issue with some of the international authorities, but our job is to protect Australians, and I would imagine that around the world, the vast majority of people would have a similar view."
University of Melbourne Chinese Studies lecturer Delia Lin said that there is a “genuine linguistic misunderstanding” of what wet markets actually are.
“The term has been politically charged in the west and has been associated with coronavirus cover-ups and wildlife trading,” Dr Lin told SBS News.
“In China people would think that is absurd. Wet markets in China are more like a farmers' market in Australia.”
However, Dr Lin agrees that China has vast improvements to make in terms of animal welfare.
“Wildlife trading markets have been banned but China does need to do a lot more to protect animals,” she said.
“For example, the annual dog meat festival still goes on and it should be banned.”
The World Health Organisation said that although wet markets in China are able to go forward, it is necessary to regulate them.
“But it is necessary to regulate them and introduce measures to decrease the risk of transmission of diseases at them,” the WHO told SBS News in a statement.
“With adequate facilities, proper regulation and good hygiene practices it is possible to have safe food sold in wet markets.”
“It is WHO’s understanding that these laws continue to be enforced through provincial and municipal authorities under central government oversight,” the statement said.