The European Commission (EC) will recommend the replacement of mask use by passengers on flights from China and is reviewing mandatory testing due to the increase in SARS-CoV-2 infections in that country.
The spokesman, Tim McPhie, announced that the Commission “has prepared a draft” which is “now being refined on the basis of discussions with Member States”, which will be “published shortly” and “will include the mask recommendation on flights from China, surveillance of the water” used in airplanes and increasing “surveillance in testing 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 spokesperson for the Commission added that a “discussion about the need to test [passageiros] before departure” of a flight to European territory, a measure that “most countries are in favour”.
“The European Commission is playing its role in facilitating these discussions” to get a “coordinated response from the European Union,” said Tim McPhie.
The topic was the subject of debate at a meeting of the Integrated Political Response to Crises (IPCR) group, which includes representatives of the European institutions, member states and specialists, which took place on Tuesday and will continue throughout today’s afternoon. .
Asked about the possibility of taking “countermeasures, according to the principle of reciprocity,” adopted on Tuesday by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning, spokeswoman Dana Spinant replied that the Commission will “take action depending on what you think is necessary under the circumstances”.
Since the rise in covid-19 cases in China has been made public, several members of the community bloc, including Spain, have reintroduced controls on travelers from China, although others, such as Belgium, have chosen not to require travelers to that country to run a test.
“Everything will be prepared” to take measures to combat covid-19 in Portugal if necessary, says health minister
In Portugal, the health minister assured on Tuesday that “everything will be prepared” to take measures to combat covid-19 in Portugal, if necessary, namely at airports for travelers from China.
The number of cases of covid-19 reached a record level in mainland China, peaking on December 2, 2022 and over the past three weeks the incidence has decreased, probably also due to a reduction in the number of tests performed, resulting in, according to ECDC fewer infections are detected.
After strict travel restrictions at the height of the pandemic, the European Union returned to a pre-pandemic system of free travel this autumn, but member states agreed that an “emergency brake” could be activated within a short time if necessary time to take on an unexpected challenge.
Covid-19 is an infectious respiratory disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which was discovered three years ago in China and has spread rapidly around the world, in variants, some more contagious than others.
The disease has been an international public health emergency since January 30, 2020, and a pandemic since March 11, 2020.
Source: DN
