EU urges pre-flight COVID-19 tests on passengers from China

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union has “strongly encouraged” its member states to impose pre-departure COVID-19 testing of passengers from China, in a move that is likely to upset Beijing and has already been criticised by the global airline industry.

Following a week of talks between EU health experts, the bloc stopped short of agreeing that all 27 member states impose such a travel restriction that members like Italy, France and Spain had already implemented at a national level.

Instead, it only urged nations to do so.

China has already vehemently rejected such actions, warning of “countermeasures” if such policies were to be imposed across the bloc.

Even though the EU presidency said in a statement that the member states “agreed on a coordinated precautionary approach,” part of the approach fell short of full agreement.

In the most crucial part of the statement, it said that “the Member States are strongly encouraged to introduce, for all passengers departing from China to Member States, the requirement for a negative COVID-19 test.”

On other issues, the EU said there was full agreement to have passengers wear masks when travelling to and from China and to offer advice on personal hygiene and health issues.

The Chinese government and European health experts have said there is no pressing need for any blanket restrictions on travel since the coronavirus variants emerging from China are already prevalent in Europe.

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