More and more countries are tightening the coronavirus measures for travelers from China due to the high number of new infections in the Asian country. For example, Spain announced on Friday that travelers from China must show a negative test or proof of vaccination. South Korea and Malaysia will also implement tougher policies.
Previously, the USA, Italy, India and Japan, among others, had already announced that travelers from China must undergo a corona test upon arrival. Malaysia will even check if people have a fever and examine wastewater from China for virus particles.
For more than two years, China has had a strict coronavirus policy. But after large-scale protests, almost all the measures were lifted in early December. Since then, the number of infections has increased rapidly. Reliable figures are lacking, but Chinese authorities reported last week that some 37 million coronavirus cases are added every day.
According to the South Korean news agency Yohap more than half of South Korean diplomats in China have been infected. Seoul is therefore limiting the number of flights that can enter from China.
The Netherlands has not yet imposed a testing obligation for people entering our country from China. Apart from Italy and Spain, the member states of the European Union do not yet consider it necessary. In Europe, immunity has already been built against the omikron variants circulating in China, and as yet there are no indications that new variants are emerging there.
The health organization WHO needs more information on the corona situation in China to properly assess the risk. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Twitter on Friday.
