The European Commission (EC) will recommend the replacement of the use of masks by passengers on flights from China and is evaluating mandatory tests, due to the increase in SARS-CoV-2 infections in that country.
The spokesman, Tim McPhie, has announced that the Commission “prepared a draft” that “is now being refined based on discussions with Member States”, which will be “published shortly” and includes “the mask recommendation in flights from China, the surveillance of water “used in airplanes and increasing the “surveillance in tests and vaccination” of the European population.
“We want to make sure that immunity levels [da população dos Estados-membros da União Europeia] be as high as possible,” added Tim McPhie.
The Commission spokesman added that a “discussion about the need to prove [passageiros] before departure” of a flight to European territory, a measure that “most countries are in favor of”.
“The European Commission is playing its role in facilitating these discussions” in order to have a “coordinated response from the European Union,” said Tim McPhie.
The issue was discussed at a meeting of the Integrated Political Crisis Response Group (IPCR), in which representatives of the European institutions, Member States and specialists participate, which took place on Tuesday and will continue throughout the afternoon today . .
Asked about the possibility of implementing “countermeasures, following the principle of reciprocity”, assumed this Tuesday by the spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mao Ning, the spokesperson Dana Spinant replied that the Commission “adopts measures based on what it believes is necessary under the circumstances.”
Since the increase in Covid-19 cases in China was made public, several members of the community bloc, including Spain, have once again imposed controls on travelers from China, although others, such as Belgium, have chosen not to require travelers to that country need to carry out a test.
In Portugal, the Minister of Health assured this Tuesday that “everything will be prepared” so that, if necessary, control measures for Covid-19 are adopted in Portugal, specifically at airports for travelers from China.
The number of Covid-19 cases reached a record level in mainland China, peaking on December 2, 2022, and in the last three weeks the incidence has decreased, probably also due to fewer tests carried out, resulting in fewer infections are being detected, according to the ECDC.
After strict travel restrictions at the height of the pandemic, the European Union this fall returned to a pre-pandemic system of free travel, but member countries agreed that an “emergency brake” could be activated if necessary. in a short period of time. It’s time to face an unexpected challenge.
Covid-19 is an infectious respiratory disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, detected three years ago in China and which has spread rapidly throughout the world, in variants, some more contagious than others.
The disease is an international public health emergency since January 30, 2020 and a pandemic since March 11, 2020.
Source: TSF
