No new Covid variants have been detected at this stage in travelers arriving from China to Italy, where they must now undergo a test, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced on Thursday.
Travelers who tested positive at this stage are carriers of “Omicron variants already present in Italy,” Giorgia Meloni said during her end-of-year press conference.
Decision making at European level?
He also regretted that Italy’s decision to impose mandatory tests “may not be fully effective if it is not taken at the European level”, stressing that these tests only affect direct flights from China, not those with a stopover.
For this reason, Giorgia Meloni asked her Minister of Health, Orazio Schillaci, “to write in this regard to the competent European commissioner so that the EU can make a decision in this regard.”
The establishment of mandatory tests “is essential to guarantee the surveillance and individualization of possible variants of the virus in order to protect the Italian population,” Minister Orazio Schillaci justified this Wednesday when announcing the Italian decision.
Explosion of cases in China
The abrupt end this month to China’s “covid zero” policy has raised concerns in several countries.
In addition to Italy, the United States on Wednesday joined a growing number of countries that decided to impose restrictions on travelers from China after Beijing announced the lifting of restrictions on foreign travel despite an outbreak of Covid cases. in their territory.
In response, the United States and other countries have said they will require negative Covid tests for visitors from mainland China.
In fact, China is facing the biggest wave of pollution in the world. He announced this week the end of mandatory quarantines on arrival on January 8, prompting many Chinese to plan to travel abroad.
Source: BFM TV
