Given the rapidly rising corona figures in China, Spain also wants to require travelers from the People’s Republic to undergo a corona test or a full vaccination upon entry. Health Minister Carolina Darias announced this at a press conference on Friday morning. No mandatory test is currently planned in Austria.
The minister initially did not give an exact date on which the restrictions would apply. That will be decided soon, she said. In addition, Madrid will aim to establish a common line for all EU countries on this issue as soon as possible, it said.
Several countries such as Italy and the US have already introduced or announced entry restrictions. South Korea is also tightening controls for travelers from the neighboring country. Starting next Monday, all people arriving from China must undergo a PCR test within a day of entering the country, the Seoul government announced on Friday. The regulation would initially apply until the end of February.
No mandatory testing planned in Austria
The EU is also considering further measures. Consultations on this matter took place at EU level on Thursday. EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides then called on states to review and, if necessary, step up their national surveillance measures for the virus. According to the Ministry of Health, no mandatory test is planned in Austria.
“If a new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 pathogen appears – whether in China or in the EU – we must recognize it early in order to respond quickly,” Kyriakides wrote in a letter available to the German Press Agency, to Member States. A crisis meeting is expected to take place next week on how to proceed.
Researchers warn of new variants
China is currently experiencing a rapid increase in corona cases. According to officially unconfirmed internal estimates, 248 million people in China contracted Covid-19 in the first three weeks of December alone. Researchers warn that the Covid wave could create new variants of the virus, which would then find their way to other countries.
Source: Krone
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