The World Health Organization head, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said he was very disappointed that China has not yet approved the entry into the country of a team of international experts intending to investigate the COVID-19 origins, Reuters reported.

The specialists were supposed to start work in early January as part of their long-awaited mission and conduct an examination in connection with the COVID-19 first cases detected in Wuhan.

According to him, they have learned that Chinese officials have not yet finalized the necessary permits for the team to arrive in China. 

The WHO mission was to be led by WHO's senior animal disease expert Peter Ben Embarek, who traveled to China on a preliminary mission last July.

Two members of the expert team have already headed to China. One of them has returned, and the second is on the way, said the head of the WHO emergency situations Mike Ryan.