France and the United Kingdom will require travelers from China to present a negative Covid-19 test before departure, French authorities and British media reported on Friday.
Faced with the explosion of Covid-19 cases in China, France and the United Kingdom joined Italy and Spain among the European countries that imposed restrictions, while the European Union (EU) was unable to speak with one voice on this matter.
In the United Kingdom, this measure by the British authorities is being promoted by the national media, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.
In France, all travelers from China, on direct flights or with a stopover, will have to be accompanied by a negative test, PCR or antigen, carried out less than 48 hours before departure, a government source indicated at a press conference.
Other tests will be carried out on arrival randomly, with positive samples subjected to sequencing to detect possible new variants of the virus.
Travelers will also need to ensure they self-isolate if they test positive upon arrival, the French government added.
In addition, the use of a mask will be mandatory on board flights departing from China to France.
The decree of Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, which establishes these restrictive measures, will be published over the weekend “and will be sent to the European Commission and to the Member States of the EU,” the government revealed.
The European Commission today acknowledged the “alarming” increase in Covid-19 cases in China and recommended surveillance measures to Member States, such as sample sequencing.
The Portuguese government is preparing covid-19 control measures for passengers coming from China, which will be implemented if necessary, the Minister of Health announced today, rejecting “alarmism” given the recent increase in infections in the Chinese population.
According to the official, the Government is monitoring the evolution of Covid-19 in China, which “is cause for concern”, maintaining a “close dialogue with other European countries, specifically within the framework of the European Union and with international health organizations “. “.
According to Manuel Pizarro, there is only one weekly direct flight that lands in Portugal from China, but the possibility of control measures for passengers on flights with stopovers in other countries is being evaluated.
Outside the EU, countries such as the United States, South Korea, Malaysia, Japan and Israel have also taken measures due to the increase in cases in China, the Efe agency reported.
Source: TSF
