Thread by @AamerAnwar

As @BorisJohnson ministers try to defend him & tell us no one knew in advance it was a global pandemic -here is the @WHO on 31st Jan declaring #COVID19 a global emergency #bloodontheirhands #PPEforNHS 💙
bbc.co.uk/news/world-513…

The main reason for this declaration is not what is happening in China but what is happening in other countries," said @WHO Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

The @WHO declares a Public Health Emergency of International Concern when there is "an extraordinary event which is determined… to constitute a public health risk to other states through the international spread of disease".

Voluntary evacuations of hundreds of foreign nationals from Wuhan began &
the UK, Australia, South Korea, Singapore & New Zealand were expected to quarantine all evacuees for 2weeks to monitor them for symptoms and avoid contagion. The UK did nothing

To date 15,000 continue to fly in the UK from countries of high infection & there is no quarantining, testing not even a temperature taken before going home on public transport

As for @realDonaldTrump attacks on @WHO The US is well represented in the top ranks of the organisation with more than 12 officials from the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) embedded in the WHO in January and February.

WHO desperately struggled to get 194 member states to follow its guidance. John MacKenzie, a virologist and adviser on the WHO’s emergency committee said. “The messages come out loud & clear, & some disregard the warnings. The US largely did, the UK largely did.”

Yes there are questions to be asked of the @WHO but in reality it has the budget of a medium size hospital - the blame for not following advice very much lies with the likes of @BorisJohnson & @realDonaldTrump for whom continuing trade was far more important & still is