Travelers from China are required to take a corona test upon arrival in Italy. Health Minister Orazio Schillaci says that all people arriving from China must demonstrate that they are not infected with the corona virus due to the rising contamination figures. “The measure is essential for detecting possible variants of the virus and for protecting the Italian population.”
After a rare wave of protests, Beijing has lifted almost all corona measures in recent weeks. This leads to many more infections in China, which has had a very strict policy for more than two years. According to an estimate by the Bloomberg news agency, as many as 37 million people became infected in one day last week.
The Chinese wave of infection is also causing concern in other countries. Taiwan wants to test people arriving from China for corona from January 1. The US is also considering introducing restrictions on travelers from China. From Friday, Japan will direct air traffic from China to a maximum of four airports in Japan, where travelers from China, excluding the autonomous regions of Hong Kong and Macau, must take a corona test.
The German government announced on Wednesday that it currently sees no reason to announce new travel restrictions for people entering the country from China. According to a government spokesperson, this is because there is no new dangerous variant of the corona virus. Only if this were the case would a quarantine of two weeks after arrival be mandatory.
Belgium
There is also discussion in Belgium about entry restrictions for Chinese people. Mayor Dirk de Fauw of Bruges argues for such a limitation, because the city is very popular with Chinese tourists. “Every year, about 100,000 to 150,000 visitors from China come to our city,” says De fauw. That is why the mayor is worried now that China is reopening its borders after the corona period. “The contamination figures in the country are still very high, but the doors are being opened without restrictions.” De Fauw advocates a solution at European level.
The Netherlands
The Dutch Ministry of Health (VWS) will not introduce any new measures in the short term. “We are closely monitoring the situation. We do this through RIVM, which is in contact with the European health center ECDC,” says a spokesperson for the ministry. “If RIVM gives a signal that measures are needed, then we are ready. But that signal is not there now.”
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