While the EU stalls, Madrid follows Rome. India also extends the restrictions to those arriving from Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore. Tokyo and Seoul restrict flights from Beijing
Beijing reacts to the restrictions put in place by some countries, including Italy, on travelers from China. He defines them as “discriminatory” and “unfounded”, “another opportunity to defame us”. The reference is to the decision to make anti Covid test at the airport to travelers arriving from China. Measures taken in fear that the proliferation of the virus in a non-immunized population – vaccinated with ineffective serums and which has had almost no previous exposure to the virus due to the Zero covid policy carried out for three years and suspended a few days ago – could lead to new variants . What is worrying is the fact that Beijing does not share sufficient and credible information on the progress of the pandemic: yesterday reported 5.5 thousand new cases and one death. But with the end of mass testing and the narrowing of criteria for what counts as a Covid death, those numbers are no longer thought to reflect reality. Some experts estimate one million new infections per day and 9,000 deaths per day.
In the US from January 5th
The United States is preparing to ask those disembarking from China to show a negative test carried out no more than 48 hours before departure. But the measure, announced last Wednesday, will only take effect from 5 January. In the northeast of the country, the subvariant of Omicron, XBB.1.5, has quickly become dominant, probably responsible for the leap in infections in the last week.
Italy forerunner
The Italian government was the first in the West to reintroduce – last Wednesday – the obligation of the rapid anti-Covid swab for all passengers arriving from China. For them, the Milanese airport of Malpensa had already provided for the optional swab on 26 December. Since yesterday, the tests have also become mandatory for passengers arriving in Italy after a stopover. Those who test positive will be placed in quarantine. But Rome’s cautious line is not shared at EU level for now. Health Minister Orazio Schillaci had sent a letter to the Commission “to ask for a union on the measures” at European level, a request that has not been accepted for now.
The EU takes time
The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control considers a mandatory European-wide verification of Covid symptoms for travelers from China “unjustified” for now, given that the levels of immunity and vaccination of European countries “are relatively high ». “The variants circulating in China are the ones that are already circulating in the EU” and therefore controls at the European Union level are not currently considered necessary.
The Elysée announced that France intends to act in «a coordinated manner with the other member states of the Unionas it has always done since the beginning of the health crisis» therefore it will not introduce any restrictions independently.
For the German government, the current wave of Covid-19 infections in China is not sufficient reason to impose new entry measures because there would be no indications of a new variant of the virus more dangerous than the one that is spreading in Germany.
Spain follows Italy
Rome instead follows Madrid, which will ask travelers from China for a negative Covid-19 test or the complete vaccination certificate. The Minister of Health, Carolina Darias, announcing the measure, highlighted that there is a “shared concern at an international and national level” about the evolution of infections in China and about the difficulty of making a “correct” assessment of the situation due to the scarce available information: there is concern that new variants that are not controlled or different from the existing ones could spread in the country, he said.
In Japan buffer and flight restrictions
In Asia, several countries have taken action. Today is Japan has started requiring anti Covid tests to all passengers arriving from China. positives will be quarantined for up to seven days in designated facilities and their samples sequenced. The Tokyo government is already facing a record increase in cases and deaths (over 400 a day) in the country. Direct flights between China and Japan will be limited to four major Japanese airports for now, government officials said. Flights from Hong Kong and Macau will be allowed to land at three other airports provided there are no passengers who have been to mainland China in the seven days prior to the flight. Hong Kong authorities called the restrictions “unreasonable” and asked Japanese authorities to lift them.
India extends measures beyond China
The Indian government has announced that, starting Sunday, travelers from China (including Hong Kong), Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand will need to present a negative Covid test to be allowed into the country.
South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand
South Korea today announced that from January 5 it will require travelers from China to show the negative swab. From Monday they will also have to take the molecular test within a day of arriving in South Korea. Seoul will also limit the number of flights from China and short-term visas for Chinese citizens, except those visiting for diplomatic, essential business or humanitarian reasons, until at least the end of February.
December 30, 2022 (change December 30, 2022 | 11:22 am)
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