Covid-19: Australia Joins Countries Imposing Restrictions on Chinese Visitors

Covid-19: According to news agency AFP, Australia became the latest country to require travellers from China to present a negative Covid test report before arrival, citing a "lack of comprehensive information" from Beijing concerning the country's wave of cases.

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Change will take effect on January 5 says Australia's Health Minister

According to AFP, Australia's Health Minister Mark Butler stated that the change will take effect on January 5. The rule is being implemented "to defend Australia from the risk of potential new emerging variations" and "in recognition of the quickly shifting situation in China".

Three years after the coronavirus first appeared in the Chinese city of Wuhan, Beijing began abandoning its "zero-Covid" containment policy this month. Since then, Chinese hospitals have been overwhelmed with primarily elderly patients, crematoriums have been overcrowded, and many pharmacies have ran out of fever treatments, according to AFP.

While more than 97 percent of Australian individuals have received at least one Covid-19 vaccination shot, Canberra is concerned that Chinese authorities are not sharing enough information about case numbers or which variations are spreading. "This action is in response to a big wave of Covid-19 infections in China, as well as the possibility of new virus strains in that nation," Butler explained.

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Countries making Covid-19 tests necessary for Chinese visitors

"Fortunately, in Australia, we have readily available access to vaccines and treatments, and high underlying population immunity." Prior to Australia, India, Japan, France, and the United Kingdom making Covid-19 tests necessary for Chinese visitors when the epidemic spread on the mainland.

Chinese visitors must present a negative COVID test result. According to Reuters, France has joined numerous other countries in seeking negative Covid-19 test results from Chinese travellers.

According to Reuters, the French health and transport ministries made Covid test findings necessary for Chinese travellers 48 hours before departure. All flights departing from China, including stopovers, must undergo a Covid test, and passengers must wear masks.

France will carry out random PCR Covid tests on select visitors travelling from China from January 1 as the obligatory testing will take "a little while," according to Reuters. The ministry also advised persons with weakened immune systems to postpone non-essential travel to China.

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