Italy has introduced a test requirement for travelers from China. The Health Minister ordered mandatory Covid-19 antigen swabs and virus sequencing for passengers from China. Given the high number of corona infections in China, new restrictions also apply to travelers from the People’s Republic in the US.
The US health authority CDC announced on Wednesday that air travelers coming to the US from China must submit a negative corona test before departure from January 5. This applies regardless of the nationality of the travelers and their vaccination status. The test should not be older than two days. The clearance requirement is also mandatory for travelers from the Chinese Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau.
Insufficient data from China
The new rule also applies to people coming to the United States from China via a third country, as well as to passengers who want to travel to other destinations via the United States. It is about containing the spread of the coronavirus given the rise in Covid cases in China as the Chinese side has not provided enough data.
This measure is “essential to ensure the monitoring and identification of all variants of the virus to protect the Italian population,” said Italian Health Minister Orazio Schillaci. People who test positive must be quarantined. “We will now organize with the regions to determine how to act,” Schillaci said. The minister plans to reveal more details about the Italian government’s anti-corona plans on Thursday.
Tests in Milan since Tuesday
Milan Malpensa Airport had already started testing passengers from China for the corona virus on Tuesday. Every second passenger from China has tested positive for the corona virus, Milan authorities said. PCR tests were also carried out at all other international airports in the country on Wednesday. In February 2020, Lombardy was the first western region where the corona pandemic spread.
Austria is still observing
A corresponding measure is not currently planned for Austria, but the situation is being observed, according to a request from the Italian Ministry of Health. In addition, there is an exchange with various EU institutions.
China is currently experiencing a rapid increase in corona cases. It is estimated that 248 million people in China contracted the virus in the first three weeks of December alone. Scientists warn that the corona wave could produce new variants that would then find their way to other countries.
Source: Krone
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