According to the EU Commission, many countries support tests for travelers from China. Vienna’s Mayor Michael Ludwig is also in favor of this.
On Wednesday (3 p.m.), the EU states will continue their deliberations on a joint response to the massive corona wave in China. According to the EU Commission, representatives of the national health ministries had already agreed on a “coordinated approach” on Tuesday. The vast majority of EU countries therefore support corona tests before leaving China for the EU.
EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides wrote on Twitter after the meeting that measures such as pre-departure tests and increased monitoring of wastewater had come closer. However, a number of EU countries had recently tightened the rules for entry from China on their own initiative. In France, for example, PCR tests will be mandatory after arrival. Austria wants to examine the waste water from flights from China. And Spain has introduced the 3G rule – so travelers from China must be vaccinated, tested or recovered.
Ludwig: “Act in time”
Vienna’s mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ) demanded mandatory tests when entering from China in an ORF interview with “Vienna Today” on Tuesday evening. It is known that many people who come from China are infected with Corona. There is therefore a great risk, especially among unvaccinated people, that the virus will spread again. “Therefore, one should act in a timely manner and not wait and see like in the past,” said Ludwig.
Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) did not consider any regulations to be necessary on Monday. However, he pleaded for concerted action by the EU on this issue. In addition, the waste water from all flights from China will be examined for new virus variants in Austria from next week, the Ministry of Health announced on Tuesday.
(APA/dpa/Ed.)