Due to the corona wave in China, various countries are tightening their entry rules for Chinese people. After the US and other countries, the European Union now also wants to step up protective measures. An emergency meeting was called on Thursday.
Italy was the first European country to mandate mandatory testing for Chinese citizens upon arrival. On December 26, two planes from China landed in Milan. Of the 210 people tested, 97 had a positive test result. Anyone infected with Covid-19 has to go into isolation in Italy. On Thursday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called for mandatory testing across Europe.
No border controls in France and Germany
It doesn’t look like that at the moment. For example, the French government said that it did not consider border controls necessary because of China. “From a scientific point of view, there is no justification for reintroducing border controls,” said the head of the health risk assessment committee, Brigitte Autran. However, this can change every day. The German Ministry of Health is not currently planning any checks either. So far there is no evidence of a new variant of the virus more dangerous than the one currently spreading in Germany, it said.
New variants?
Austria’s health ministry said on Wednesday that no entry restrictions for Chinese people are planned. The situation is being monitored and the Ministry is in contact with various EU authorities. The SPÖ called on the government to consider introducing compulsory testing for travelers from China at airports. “When it comes to the safety of the population and the protection of people in Europe and Austria against the introduction of possible new corona variants, we have to play it safe (…)”, SPÖ union manager Christian Deutsch said in a broadcast.
As reported, the governments of the US, Japan, India and Malaysia have already tightened the rules for entry from China. In the United States, air travelers “aged two years and older coming from China must take a test no later than two days before departure from China, Hong Kong and Macau and submit a negative test result to the airlines upon departure. said the CDC health authority.
Beijing pulled back from its strict zero-Covid policy in early December. Exact official figures are no longer available. However, hospitals are overcrowded in many places. After Beijing announced the end of the corona quarantine obligation for returnees from abroad on Monday, just as many Chinese people booked a trip.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
