Local: WHO acknowledges that the Wuhan market played a part in the coronavirus outbreak

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported that the wholesale market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan played a part in the coronavirus epidemic in December 2019.

Dr Peter Ben Embarek, WHO expert on food safety and zoonotic viruses speaking at the Geneva news conference, said that inquiries are underway to ascertain the exact role played by Wuhan in the outbreak of COVID-19.

The Chinese government reopened the Wuhan market in January as part of its attempts to stop the transmission of the virus and imposed a provisional ban on the sale and consumption of wildlife. In the case, the market played a part, that's obvious. But what position we don't know, whether it was a catalyst or an amplifying system, or just a coincidence that certain cases have been found in and around that area.

However, he said it was unknown if live animals or tainted sellers or shoppers took the virus to the market.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Hua Chunying, dismissed the allegations that the coronavirus originated in the Wuhan lab.