More countries are introducing mandatory testing for travelers to China

Spain, France, England and South Korea also announced testing requirements on Friday. The German Minister of Health, Karl Lauterbach, currently considers this to be “not yet necessary”, and according to the Ministry of Health, no mandatory testing is currently planned in Austria either.

After almost three years of strict precautions, China’s leadership abruptly announced an end to its zero-corona policy on December 7th. According to officially unconfirmed internal estimates, 248 million people, or 18 percent of the population, became infected 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.

EU advises

The EU discussed this on Thursday. EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides then called on the states to review their national surveillance measures for the virus and, if necessary, to ramp them up again. A crisis meeting is expected to take place next week.

Lauterbach also considers a coordinated Europe-wide solution to be important. “We need very precise ‘variant monitoring’ because we cannot reliably retrieve this variant monitoring from China,” said the German minister. “The targeted review of individual flight sequences, for example, could also play a role here, which is being prepared.” But there is no reason for “routine antigen tests”.

Italy, the US and India had already introduced or announced restrictions on travelers to China. Spain’s Health Minister Carolina Darias also announced on Friday that travelers from the People’s Republic would have to present a corona test or proof of full vaccination upon entry. From when was initially unclear. In France, in addition to the obligation to present a negative corona test upon entry, random tests will be carried out on arrivals from China, the government in Paris announced on Friday evening.

England tests

In England, the new corona test obligation for travelers from China will apply from January 5th. The British government announced that anyone coming to England on a direct flight from mainland China must present a negative corona test before departure.

Although there are no direct flights from China to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, work is underway to ensure that the measure is implemented across the UK as soon as possible. These are temporary precautionary measures to improve the UK’s ability to detect potential new corona variants from China. From January 8th, passengers will also be tested on arrival in England.

In South Korea, from Monday, all people arriving from the neighboring country must undergo a PCR test within one day of entering the country. In addition, from next Thursday everyone who wants to enter China from China must be able to show a negative corona test.

From Friday, Japan required all travelers from China to be tested for Corona upon entry. If the test is positive, those affected must isolate themselves in special accommodation for seven days. Direct flights from China will be restricted to four Japanese airports including Narita and Haneda near Tokyo.

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, showed understanding for the actions of the countries because “comprehensive information from China” was missing.