Covid: Despite China's anger, EU advises member-nations to make pre-departure testing mandatory

Even as China has threatened retaliation against countries imposing special rules on travellers from the country, the European Union on 4 January 2023 issued a "strong" advisory.

European Union officials "encouraged" member states to make Covid testing mandatory before departure for travellers from China.

Some EU countries like Italy, France, and Spain have already implemented the measure, as per reports. Following a week of talks between EU health experts, the bloc stopped short of fully imposing on all 27 member states such a travel restriction.

A day after threatening countermeasures, Chinese government spokesperson Mao Ning said on 4 January that "we sincerely hope that all parties will focus on fighting the epidemic itself, avoid the politicization of Covid."

Also watch: Covid: WHO says China not revealing 'true impact', Beijing not providing 'complete data' on surge

As well as pre-departure testing, EU nations are likely to agree on special testing of wastewater in planes coming from China to see if it contains dangerous variants that are not common on the continent yet.

(With AP inputs)