European countries are considering new travel requirements from China after Beijing lifts Covid restrictions.
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European countries on Wednesday agreed to impose new restrictions on travelers from China amid fears of the spread of the new coronavirus.
Passengers departing from China may be required to present a negative Covid test result before leaving the country if they are heading to one of the EU 27 countries.
Chinese officials criticized It recently imposed testing requirements on travelers from the country and threatened reciprocal action. The US, India, UK, Japan and Australia have all announced tougher measures for travelers from China to prevent a surge in COVID-19 cases.
Italy was one of the first EU countries to take action after Beijing abruptly abandoned the draconian measures it had in place against much of the pandemic.
Rome, the hardest-hit European city by the pandemic, ordered compulsory testing last week. France and Spain also took a similar stance.
The latest move by the EU’s executive body, the European Commission, aims to harmonize rules across the region.
In late December, Chinese authorities announced that they would resume issuing visas for residents to travel abroad. They also said travelers arriving in China no longer need to be quarantined.
However, Covid infections have been on the rise in China since November, raising concerns about public vaccination levels. According to Reuters, the country has nine domestically developed vaccines, but these have not been updated for the Omicron variant, which is believed to be highly infectious.
European officials have offered to send vaccines to China, but Beijing has yet to respond, according to a European Commission spokesperson.
A spokesperson for the commission told CNBC that the EU has been in touch through a delegation in Beijing to “provide solidarity and support, including through sharing public health expertise and donating EU vaccines adapted to the variant.” rice field.
Asked about offers from Europe to provide Covid vaccines on Tuesday, China’s foreign ministry spokesman Mao Ning said, “China has established the world’s largest production line for Covid vaccines, with an annual production capacity of more than 7 billion doses. 5.5 or more, which meets the need to make Covid vaccines accessible to all eligible people.”
“The Covid situation in China is predictable and under control,” she added.
