Rather than criticising Beijing for its initial attempts to cover up the outbreak, Dr Tedros instead praised Chinese President Xi Jinping for his "very rare leadership", and China for showing "transparency" in its response to the virus.

"The W.H.O. really blew it... Fortunately I rejected their advice on keeping our borders open to China early on. Why did they give us such a faulty recommendation?" ‐ US President Donald J. Trump, Twitter, April 7, 2020.