The explosion of cases of COVID-19 in China, derived from the withdrawal of most of the restrictions imposed throughout the pandemic, has generated concern worldwide and has led to the imposition in several countries, including Spain, of new controls for travelers from the Asian giant.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said on Thursday that, for the time being, the recovery of this type of measures was «unjustified», since Europe has an ample level of immunization and no new variants have been detected that would be an additional cause for concern.
The European Commission, for its part, called for a «coordinated» approach and convened an extraordinary meeting of the Health Security Committee from which no new measures emerged, beyond advocating «active vigilance» on the evolution of the situation in China. Italy, however, has already advocated common restrictions through its Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni.
The Italian government was the first in the EU to announce measures, requiring all travelers from China to test negative for coronavirus. The Italian Health Ministry’s order also covers travelers in transit and will be in force, in principle, until the end of January.
In the case of Spain, another route is established, as those who can prove that they have completed the vaccination schedule will be exempt from presenting this negative test.
The United States, on the other hand, does not take into account vaccination status and, like Italy, will ask all passengers arriving at airports to undergo a test, either an antigen test or a PCR. Those who have tested positive more than ten days prior to travel will be able to provide documentation that they have passed the disease.
FEAR IN ASIA The wave of contagions in China has generated special concern in Asia, where most of the controls adopted at national level during the last few days are concentrated.
On Friday, the South Korean government confirmed that it will ask travelers from China to undergo pre- and post-trip tests, limit the issuance of visas and veto any increase in air connections. In fact, all flights arriving from China will be channeled through a single airport.
Taiwan will also test those arriving from the mainland, while Malaysia will likewise monitor travelers, for example by examining the sewage of all flights from China. For its part, India will ask for a negative test, in a measure that also extends to travelers arriving from South Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Japan.
Japan will require all passengers arriving from China to submit to a test and to observe a week’s quarantine if they test positive. It will also maintain restrictions on direct air connections with the world’s most populous country.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
