After almost three years of extremely strict precautions, China’s leadership abruptly announced an end to its controversial zero-Covid policy on December 7th. According to officially unconfirmed internal estimates, 248 million people or 18 percent of the population were infected in the first three weeks of December alone. Experts warn that the coronavirus wave could produce new variants that would then find their way to other countries.
For this reason, England, Italy, Spain, the USA, India and South Korea have already introduced or promised restrictions on travelers from China in the past few days, such as the presentation of negative coronavirus tests. Austria and Germany have so far not taken any measures.
On the other hand, Morocco will significantly tighten its entry regulations. From Tuesday, there will be an entry ban for people of all nationalities arriving from the People’s Republic. A new wave of infections in Morocco with the corona virus “with all its consequences” must be prevented.
Untested in other EU countries
France has also taken new measures. Since Sunday, travelers from China have been PCR tested upon arrival at the airport. Transport Secretary Clement Beaune urged all EU countries to do the same. He justified his demand by saying that passengers from China could travel to France untested via other countries. “That’s why we have to coordinate so that we can be more effective.”
But at the moment it doesn’t look like the EU countries will agree on a line. The European Union had not yet decided on a common line during consultations on the coronavirus wave in China on Thursday. EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides only called on the states to review their national measures to monitor the virus and, if necessary, to restart them.
But Sweden, as the new EU Council Presidency, has already convened a meeting of the IPCR crisis response mechanism for Wednesday. The EU states should again discuss possible measures, the Swedish government said on Saturday evening. Sweden is committed to a common strategy with a view to possible entry restrictions. It is “important to introduce the necessary measures quickly”.
Lack of transparency as a reason for restrictions
It is much faster outside of the EU. Australia and Canada on Sunday announced negative coronavirus tests as a requirement for entry from the country. The Australian government cited the “lack of comprehensive information” from China as the reason for the measure. The regulation, which will come into force on January 5, is intended to protect Australia “from the risk of potential new variants”, said Health Minister Mark Butler.
The Canadian government also complained about “limited” data on CoV cases in China. In addition to the negative coronavirus tests, the wastewater from all international flights that land in Vancouver and Toronto will also be tested for new CoV variants.
The World Health Organization (WHO) asked China to be more transparent about the new wave on Friday. The WHO has “again asked for the regular sharing of specific, real-time data on the epidemiological situation,” the organization said. China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin dismissed allegations that his country was not providing enough data.
Xi exudes optimism
Some of the larger Chinese cities already appear to be recovering from the wave of infections. But smaller cities and rural areas without sufficient resources are particularly hard hit by the rapid increase in infections. On Sunday, China reported more than 5,100 new infections and one death related to Covid-19. However, the actual numbers are likely to be significantly higher.
China also lifted strict CoV regulations
After the Chinese government lifted most of the coronavirus regulations and bans, some states are now obliging incoming Chinese to have CoV tests.
Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen vowed Sunday that she was willing to provide “necessary assistance based on humanitarian concerns.” However, she did not name the possible support in more detail. Beijing regards the island, which has been split off since 1949, as a breakaway territory.
Despite the tense situation in his country, Chinese President Xi Jinping was full of optimism in his New Year’s address: “The light of hope is right in front of us,” Xi said in the televised address on Saturday. The coronavirus prevention and control measures are entering a “new phase”.
