As the global coronavirus cases crossed 3 million on Monday, World Health Organization’s director-general said that the agency had sounded the highest level of alarm over the novel coronavirus early on, but lamented that not all countries had heeded its advice. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus pointed out that the WHO warned the COVID-19 outbreak constituted a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern” on January 30, when there were no deaths and only 82 cases registered outside China.

“The world should have listened to WHO then, carefully,” he told a virtual press briefing.

The organisation has faced scathing criticism from US President Donald Trump, who earlier this month suspended Washington’s funding after accusing WHO of downplaying the seriousness of the outbreak and kowtowing to China, where the novel coronavirus first surfaced late last year.

“On January 30, we declared the highest level of global emergency on #COVID19. During that time there were only 82 cases outside 🇨🇳. No cases in Latin America, actually. No cases in Africa. Only 10 cases in Europe.”-@DrTedros pic.twitter.com/HPhyLLrwCf

— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) April 27, 2020

Tedros insisted that the UN health agency had provided sound advice from the beginning “based on the best science and evidence”. But he stressed though that “we do not have any mandate to force countries… to take our advice.”

When the WHO announced on January 30 that the novel coronavirus represented “the highest level of emergency… every country could have triggered all its public health measures,” Tedros pointed out.

“I think that suffices the importance of listening to WHO’s advice.”

“We advised the whole world to implement a comprehensive public health approach, and we said find, test, isolate, and do contact tracing,” he said.

“You can check for yourselves: countries who followed that are in a better position than others. This is fact.”

“It is up to the countries to reject or accept,” he said.

“Each country takes its own responsibility.” The United States has the highest number of deaths at nearly 55,000, out of close to one million registered cases.

Meanwhile,US President continues to blame China for the pandemic. In his recent press briefing Trump said the US will conduct “serious investigations” into China’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak and could pursue the country for billions in damages because China “could have stopped” the coronavirus.

However, China has reported 6 new coronavirus cases, 3 domestic and 3 from overseas, and no deaths, according to the country’s National Health Commission, reports The Guardian. The total number of cases in mainland China now stands at 82,836, and deaths at 4,633.

(With inputs from AFP)