On Tuesday, House Republicans on the Foreign Affairs Committee released a 50-page report on the World Health Organization’s role in allowing for the global spread of the China Virus pandemic. The report charges that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) violated International Health Regulations (IHR). Furthermore, the WHO not only allowed Beijing to get away with these blatant violations but also actively ran defensive cover for the CCP, helping to exacerbate the global pandemic.

The report argues that if the CCP had followed IHR, “it is highly likely the ongoing pandemic could have been prevented. As such, it is incumbent upon the United States and likeminded WHO Member States to ensure the accountability and reforms necessary to prevent the CCP’s malfeasance from giving rise to a third pandemic during the 21st century.”

As evidence supporting the charge that the WHO was complicit in running cover for the CCP, the report observes, “It is hard to reconcile the WHO’s own Technical Lead saying that on December 31st she knew that ‘of course’ human-to-human transmission could be occurring with the WHO’s January 13th statement that ‘there has been no suggestion of human-to-human transmission. Either the WHO willfully ignored their experts, or they deferred to CCP pressure.”

Indeed, National Review notes, “One study has found that China could have prevented 95 percent of coronavirus infections if it had immediately implemented travel restrictions, containment measures, and social distancing after Wuhan laboratories sequenced the novel virus and discovered its resemblance to SARS by December 27. Instead, health officials ordered the labs to hand over or destroy the samples.”

Current WHO Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebresesus was singled out in the report, which recommended his removal due to his “full-throated defense of the CCP’s response and embrace of their revisionist history.” The report also called for an international investigation into the CCP’s actions and its failure to follow IHR.

Finally, blame for the global COVID-19 pandemic was unequivocally laid on the CCP, as the report states, “In sum, as early as mid-December, and no later than December 27th, the CCP had enough information to assess it was legally obligated to inform the WHO that the outbreak in Wuhan was an event 'that may constitute a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.’ Had the CCP not been committed to covering up the outbreak, it would have answered YES to all four of the criteria and notified the WHO. The CCP failed to do so.”