Australia and Canada have joined a growing list of countries requiring travelers from China to take a COVID-19 test prior to boarding their flight, as China battles a nationwide outbreak of the virus after abruptly easing restrictions that were in place for much of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Australian health authorities yesterday said that from Thursday, all air travelers from China, including Hong Kong and Macau, would need to show a negative COVID-19 test taken within two days of their departure.
Canadian authorities in a statement on Saturday announced similar measures that would also come into effect on Thursday.
Photo: AFP
Citing a lack of epidemiological information and genomic sequencing data from China, Australian Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler said Canberra has decided out of an abundance of caution to require visitors to present a negative test taken within 48 hours of their departure.
The Australian government is also considering additional measures, including testing wastewater from airplanes and voluntary sampling at airports for arrivals, Butler told a news conference.
“I want to stress that the government welcomes the resumption of travel between Australia and China... I also want to stress that this is a temporary measure, reflecting the lack of comprehensive information right now about the situation in China,” Butler said.
Canada’s temporary measure would be in place for 30 days and be reassessed as more data becomes available, the Canadian government said.
“We will adapt our measures based on available data, the science and the epidemiological situation in our country and globally to protect Canadians,” Canadian Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra said in a statement.
The US’ testing requirements also take effect on Thursday.
Travelers from China to Canada or the US who test positive more than 10 days before a flight can provide the airline with documentation of recovery in lieu of a negative test result.
The Canadian Public Health Agency on Saturday said it would implement a pilot project on wastewater testing from aircraft at Vancouver International Airport, and expand a similar project at Toronto Pearson International Airport, to assess COVID-19 prevalence in various parts of the world.
Samples are sequenced to monitor for novel variants of SARS-CoV-2, the agency said.
Meanwhile, Morocco on Saturday said it would tomorrow impose a ban on people arriving from China, regardless of nationality, to avert any new wave of COVID-19 infections.
Thousands of tourists visit Morocco from China every year, usually flying via the United Arab Emirates or Qatar.
China, which for most of the pandemic adopted a “zero COVID-19” policy that included harsh restrictions aimed at stamping out the virus, abruptly eased those measures last month.
Chinese authorities previously said that from Sunday next week, overseas travelers would no longer need to quarantine upon arriving in China, paving the way for Chinese residents to travel.
Hong Kong is also preparing for quarantine-free travel to China, with plans to resume operations of more border checkpoints as early as next week, Hong Kong Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan (陳國基) wrote on Facebook.
However, a quota would remain in place limiting the number of travelers between the two places.
“Depending on the first phase of the situation, we will gradually expand the scale for a complete reopening of the border,” Chan said.
Additional reporting by Reuters
FRAUD ALLEGED: The leader of an opposition alliance made allegations of electoral irregularities and called for a protest in Tirana as European leaders are to meet Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party scored a large victory in parliamentary elections, securing him his fourth term, official results showed late on Tuesday. The Socialist Party won 52.1 percent of the vote on Sunday compared with 34.2 percent for an alliance of opposition parties led by his main rival Sali Berisha, according to results released by the Albanian Central Election Commission. Diaspora votes have yet to be counted, but according to initial results, Rama was also leading there. According to projections, the Socialist Party could have more lawmakers than in 2021 elections. At the time, it won 74 seats in the
EUROPEAN FUTURE? Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama says only he could secure EU membership, but challenges remain in dealing with corruption and a brain drain Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama seeks to win an unprecedented fourth term, pledging to finally take the country into the EU and turn it into a hot tourist destination with some help from the Trump family. The artist-turned-politician has been pitching Albania as a trendy coastal destination, which has helped to drive up tourism arrivals to a record 11 million last year. US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, also joined in the rush, pledging to invest US$1.4 billion to turn a largely deserted island into a luxurious getaway. Rama is expected to win another term after yesterday’s vote. The vote would
A Croatian town has come up with a novel solution to solve the issue of working parents when there are no public childcare spaces available: pay grandparents to do it. Samobor, near the capital, Zagreb, has become the first in the country to run a “Grandmother-Grandfather Service,” which pays 360 euros (US$400) a month per child. The scheme allows grandparents to top up their pension, but the authorities also hope it will boost family ties and tackle social isolation as the population ages. “The benefits are multiple,” Samobor Mayor Petra Skrobot told reporters. “Pensions are rather low and for parents it is sometimes
CANCER: Jose Mujica earned the moniker ‘world’s poorest president’ for giving away much of his salary and living a simple life on his farm, with his wife and dog Tributes poured in on Tuesday from across Latin America following the death of former Uruguayan president Jose “Pepe” Mujica, an ex-guerrilla fighter revered by the left for his humility and progressive politics. He was 89. Mujica, who spent a dozen years behind bars for revolutionary activity, lost his battle against cancer after announcing in January that the disease had spread and he would stop treatment. “With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica. President, activist, guide and leader. We will miss you greatly, old friend,” Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi wrote on X. “Pepe, eternal,” a cyclist shouted out minutes later,
RSS