* 14 countries reinstate mandatory tests for Chinese travel
Foreign airlines, yesterday, kicked back their travel protocols in stages after the occurrence of COVID-19 infections in some parts of the world, especially China.
The airline, under the auspices of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), said the re-introduction of tests and other measures for travelers had proven ineffective and unscientific as a deterrent to the devastating virus.
Less than three weeks after the Federal Government abolished face masks for air travel in Nigeria and also canceled the COVID-19 PCR test regardless of vaccination status, governments around the world have started to reinstate or consider restrictions on people traveling from China, due to the number of cases of Coronavirus in the country it increases after rest. The “zero-COVID” rule.
Countries like the United States, England, France, Australia, Japan, India, Canada, Italy, among others, have expressed the lack of information from China about the variant and are concerned about the wave of infections.
The World Health Organization called the prevention measures “understood” because of a lack of information and asked Beijing to share more data on genetic sequencing, as well as figures on hospitalizations, deaths and vaccinations.
Starting today, January 5, the United States will implement mandatory COVID-19 testing for travelers from China. All air passengers aged two and over will need a negative test result no more than two days before departure from China, Hong Kong or Macau.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also said US citizens should also reconsider travel to China, Hong Kong and Macau. Britain will also require a pre-departure negative COVID-19 test from passengers from China from January 5, the Department of Health said on Friday.
Besides China criticizing the move as “discriminatory”, IATA also called for a rethink.
IATA Director General Willie Walsh said that while the virus “has spread across borders”, it was “very disappointing to see the ineffective recovery measures over the last three years.”
Walsh reiterated that research conducted on the arrival of the Omicron variant concluded that creating obstacles in the way of travel was no different from the highest spread of infection.
“At most, the restrictions postpone the peak for a few days. If new variants appear anywhere in the world, the same situation will be expected. That is why the government must listen to the advice of experts, including the WHO, who advise on travel restrictions.
“We (airlines) have the tools to manage COVID-19 without resorting to ineffective measures that kill international connectivity, damage the economy and destroy jobs. The government must make decisions based on ‘science facts’ rather than ‘science politics’,” said Walsh.
Travel restrictions and safety protocols before the ‘knee-jerk’ cost billions in global flight losses, which major airlines are still dealing with.
Starting January 1, France will also conduct random PCR tests for COVID-19 upon arrival on some travelers from China, a government official told reporters. The French government has also asked all 26 other EU member states to test Chinese travelers for COVID.
Those traveling from China to Australia must submit a negative COVID-19 test from January 5, Australian Health Minister Mark Butler said on Sunday. Butler cited Beijing’s “lack of comprehensive information” about COVID-19 cases as the reason for the travel requirement.
India also ordered negative COVID-19 reports for travelers coming from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and Thailand. Passengers from these countries will be quarantined if they show symptoms or test positive.
Japan requires a negative COVID-19 test upon arrival for travelers from mainland China. People who test positive must be quarantined for seven days. The new border measures for China came into effect at midnight on December 30. The government will also limit requests from airlines to increase flights to China.