Covid-19: cacophony in the EU over the arrival of travelers from China
Symbol of the divisions in the European Union, several member countries have reinforced their border control measures for travelers coming from China, against the advice of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control.
REUTERS - JENNIFER LORENZINI
Text by: RFI Follow
3 mins
Symbol of the divisions in the European Union, several member countries reinforced Friday December 30 and Saturday December 31 their border control measures for travelers coming from China, against the advice of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control.
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Spain will require "
a negative test
" or "
a complete vaccination course
" for travelers arriving from China.
Italy and France have announced similar measures, while Germany has pleaded for its part in favor of
monitoring Covid variants
in European airports, without going so far as to impose tests.
Cacophony
Faced with the likely influx of travelers from China, where
the Covid-19 epidemic is raging
, Brussels has not drawn an official line.
And the cacophony reigns.
Only the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) deemed
screening in the EU “
unjustified
” given the level of immunity in Europe and the presence of the same variants of Covid-19 as in China. .
After three years of health restrictions, China abruptly reversed its zero Covid policy earlier this month.
Since then, the country has experienced an outbreak of cases with a record number of contaminations.
Hospitals are overwhelmed by a surge of patients,
most of them elderly and vulnerable because they have been little or not vaccinated, while many pharmacies lack fever medication.
►
To read also:
On the front page: the return of tests and the wearing of masks to travelers coming from China
Despite this epidemic rebound, the Chinese authorities have reopened their borders and will end mandatory quarantines on arrival in China on January 8 and allow Chinese people to travel abroad, after three years of frustration.
For its part, the World Health Organization considered “
understandable
”
the measures taken by several States
in the world.
The United States, Japan, South Korea and even Israel will all require negative Covid tests for passengers coming from China.
"Lack of information"
“
In the absence of complete information from China, it is understandable that countries are taking the measures they believe will protect their populations
,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the WHO.
Beijing countered that its statistics on the progression of Covid had always been transparent.
The WHO announced on Friday evening that it had met with Chinese officials to discuss the outbreak.
"
WHO has again requested the regular sharing of specific and real-time data on the epidemiological situation, including more data on genetic sequencing and on the impact of the disease, including hospitalizations, admissions to units intensive care and deaths
,” the UN health agency said in a statement.
She also called for data on vaccinations carried out and vaccination status, in particular among vulnerable people and those over 60, added the WHO.
►
To read also:
Covid-19 in China: Langfang facing the “white lungs” epidemic
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