Covid Surge: Australia Joins Countries Imposing Curbs On Travellers Arriving From China

Australia became the latest addition to the list of countries demanding travellers from China to provide a negative Covid test report before arrival from January 5.

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New Delhi: Australia on Sunday became the latest addition to the list of countries demanding travellers from China to provide a negative Covid test report before arrival, citing a "lack of comprehensive information" from Beijing about the country's wave of cases, as reported by news agency AFP.

Australia’s Health Minister Mark Butler said the move will take effect from January 5, according to AFP. The rule is being made "to safeguard Australia from the risk of potential new emerging variants" and "in recognition of the rapidly evolving situation in China".

Three years after the coronavirus first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan, Beijing began ditching its hardline containment policy known as "zero-Covid" this month. A flood of mostly elderly patients has since hit Chinese hospitals, crematoriums have been overloaded and many pharmacies have run out of fever medications, AFP reported.

While more than 97 percent of Australian adults have had at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose, there is a concern in Canberra that Chinese authorities are not adequately sharing details about case numbers, or which variants are circulating. "This measure is in response to the significant wave of Covid-19 infections in China and the potential for emerging viral variants in that country," said Butler.

"Fortunately, in Australia, we have readily available access to vaccines and treatments, and high underlying population immunity." Before Australia, India Japan, France, and the United Kingdom made Covid-19 tests mandatory for travellers from China after the infection surged in the mainland.

The travellers from China have to produce a negative COVID test report. France also joined several other nations in demanding negative Covid-19 test reports from travellers from China, Reuters reported.

France made Covid test results mandatory for travellers from China within 48 hours before departure, Reuters reported citing health and transport ministries. All the flights coming from China, including the stopovers, must have a Covid test and the travellers need to wear masks.

France will carry out random PCR Covid tests on some travellers coming from China from January 1 as the mandatory testing will take "a little while," according to Reuters. The government also recommended that people with weak immune systems delay non-essential travel to China.

(With agencies’ Inputs)