MADRID (dpa-AFX) – In light of the rapid increase in the number of infections in China, Spain also wants to require travelers from the People’s Republic to undergo a corona test or a complete vaccination upon entry. Health Minister Carolina Darias announced it at a press conference on Friday morning. The minister did not initially provide a specific date when the restrictions would apply. This will be decided shortly, she said. Furthermore, Spain will work to define as quickly as possible a common line for all EU countries on this issue. Several countries such as Italy and the United States have already introduced or announced entry restrictions.
The EU is also considering further measures. Consultations on this matter took place at EU level on Thursday. European Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides has therefore called on states to review their national surveillance measures for the virus and, if necessary, step them up again. “If a new variant of the SARS-CoV2 virus appears—both in China and in the EU—we have to recognize it early in order to be able to react quickly,” she wrote in a letter to the countries that the Deutsche News Agency is forthcoming. A crisis meeting is scheduled for next week on how to proceed.
China is currently struggling with a rapid increase in corona cases. According to officially unconfirmed internal estimates, 248 million people in China contracted the virus in the first three weeks of December alone. Scientists warn that the corona wave could produce new variants which would then find their way to other countries.
