EU says screening of Chinese travellers 'unjustified'
The European Union's health agency said on Thursday it believed the introduction of mandatory Covid screenings of travellers from China was "unjustified," despite a surge in cases in the country. The United States and several other countries have introduced mandatory Covid tests on travellers arriving from China. But such measures are not necessary for the EU as a whole, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said in a statement. Beijing said this week it would end mandatory quarantine on arrival, prompting many Chinese to make plans to travel abroad. However, the ECDC said it did not currently believe the surge in cases in China would impact the epidemiological situation in the EU "given higher population immunity in the EU/EEA, as well as the prior emergence and subsequent replacement of variants currently circulating in China". Consequently, the agency considered "screenings and travel measures on travellers from China unjustified". Potential imported infections were "rather low" compared to the numbers already circulating on a daily basis, which healthcare systems "are currently able to manage", the agency added. The European Commission convened a meeting of the EU Health Security Committee on Thursday to discuss possible measures. "It is crucial that the EU acts united and in coordination regarding any possible public health measures in view of the situation in China," a commission spokesperson told AFP. The commission would "continue to facilitate discussions between member states", the spokesperson added. (AFP)