All passengers on flights from China arriving in Spain from Tuesday 3 January must present an EU Digital COVID Certificate (EU-CCD) or equivalent.
The provision is part of the Resolution published in BOE by the Ministry of Health on December 31, establishing the health control measures to be applied to passengers on flights originating in the mainland of the People’s Republic of China, so that flights originating from other origins, such as Hong Kong, are not affected.
Certificates considered valid
As explained by the Ministry of Health, “in the case of vaccination certificatesthe vaccination guidelines established in the Vaccination Strategy against COVID-19 in Spain will be accepted”.
“In the case of A negative diagnostic test certificateMolecular Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests (NAATs) will be accepted, the sample of which has been obtained within 72 hours prior to departure; and the antigen detection tests included in the common list of rapid antigen detection tests for COVID-19, agreed by the European Union Health Security Committee, the sample of which was obtained within 24 hours before departure ” adds the Ministry of Health.
“In the case of A recovery certificate, those issued by the competent authority or a medical service will be accepted as valid at least 11 days after the first NAAT diagnostic test or antigen detection test with a positive result, carried out by health professionals or qualified personnel. The certificate will be valid for 180 days from the date of the first positive result of the diagnostic test.
Finally, if they do not have an EU Digital COVID Certificate or equivalent, “passengers must be in possession of an active COVID-19 infection diagnostic test certificate with a negative result, such as those mentioned above”.
Madrid Barajas Airport. Photo: AdobeStock
Health checks at airports
In addition to the certificates, since December 31, the foreign health teams, in coordination with the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda through AENA, have begun to carry out health checks on these passengers at the airports of entry into Spain.
These checks will consist of “a documentary, visual and temperature check and in carrying out a diagnostic test of active SARS-CoV-2 infection”.
In case this active infection test produces a positive result“The communication and coordination protocols established with the health services of the autonomous communities will be activated”.
The measure is part of the package of actions announced by the Minister of Health, Carolina Darias, given the increase in the incidence of the pandemic caused by COVID-19 in China.
The first flight affected by the government’s health check measures arrived at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport at 18:00 on 31 December.
The controls will be in place, initially, until midnight on February 15, 2023.
The first anticovid checks that were carried out last Saturday on all passengers from China, both by detecting temperatures and otherwise, gave negative results.
Madrid and Barcelona, points of arrival
Los direct flights from china arriving in Spain disembark in Madrid and Barcelona airports.
In Catalonia, the Department of Health of the Generalitat has explained that it will sequence the viruses of all positive cases of COVID-19 detected (first with an antigen test, and then by PCR) among passengers arriving at Barcelona airport on direct flights from China .
“The sequencing will allow for an exhaustive control of the situation and will ensure that any positivity to COVID is not due to new variants of the virus”, reported the aforementioned department of the Generalitat.
On the other hand, the Minister of Health of the Generalitat has also recommended all people who travel to China “to do so with their updated vaccination program to protect themselves as much as possible”.
Related news:
– Spain re-imposes Covid checks at airports for travelers from China
– Destinations around the world await the return of Chinese tourists en masse
