Thread by @HelenClarkNZ

Asleep on the job? "USA intelligence agencies issued warnings about novel #coronavirus in more than a dozen classified briefings prepared for POTUS in Jan/Feb, months during which he continued to play down threat, according to current/former US officials": washingtonpost.com/national-secur…

2/3 While DC put on a performance akin to that of Nero fiddling while Rome burned, the much maligned @WHO had declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 30 Jan when there were only 100 #COVID19 cases & no deaths reported outside China:

https://twitter.com/gabbystern/status/1254905221148442624

3/4 China also didn't warn citizens promptly on #COVID19: @AP reports that in 6 days after top officials secretly determined they likely were facing pandemic from new coronavirus, Wuhan hosted mass banquet for 10s of 1000s & travel began for Lunar New Year nzherald.co.nz/world/news/art…

4/4 Lessons learned from #COVID19 include that if countries refuse to take seriously @WHO advice on how to avoid pandemics, then world is set to be burdened by recurrence of such events with the deaths, serious illness, & economic & social crises which accompany them. #WakeUpCall