EU takes action for travelers from China: Strong 48-hour mask and test recommendation

A strong recommendation for 48-hour testing and mask use for travelers from China was decided by the EU’s crisis response mechanism, whose meeting lasted for several hours and ended late on Wednesday night.

Another measure that has been discussed and is already being implemented by many EU countries is the analysis of aircraft effluents to estimate the proportion of cases in proportion.

It is noted that the EU crisis response mechanism does not decide, but makes recommendations to the governments of the states, which will decide how they will operate and what measures they will take.

More specifically, the announcement of the Swedish presidency states:

Member States agree:

* recommend that all passengers on flights to and from China wear a medical mask (FFP2/N95/KN95).

*provide advice to inbound and outbound international travelers originating in or destined for China, as well as aircraft and airport personnel, on personal hygiene and health measures.

*are strongly encouraged to introduce, for all passengers departing from China to member states, a requirement of a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than 48 hours prior to departure from China.

Member States are also encouraged to supplement these measures with:

*random checks of passengers arriving from China on arrival in Member States, as appropriate, and sequencing of all positive results to strengthen surveillance of the epidemiological situation.

*control of sewage from airports with international flights and aircraft arriving from China

*continue to promote shared vaccine distribution and vaccination, including booster doses, particularly among vulnerable groups.

The IPCR, with the support of ECDC and the European External Action Service, and taking into account the WHO assessment, will continue to monitor the epidemiological situation in the EU and developments in China, including the level of data shared, with a view to ensuring of EU coordination any measures deemed necessary.

Member States agree to assess the situation and review the measures by mid-January 2023.

WHO: The figures given by China do not correspond to the situation

China’s data on Covid-19 does not give an accurate picture of the situation in the country and does not represent the number of hospitalizations and deaths from the disease, a senior World Health Organization official said today.

The comment came as the UN agency prepares to meet again on Thursday with Chinese scientists as part of a wider briefing among member states on the global Covid-19 situation.

“We believe that the current numbers published by China do not represent the true impact of the disease in terms of hospital admissions, ICU admissions, especially in terms of deaths,” the director of WHO’s emergencies service told a news conference. , Mike Ryan.

Earlier in the same press conference, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reiterated that the Organization is “concerned” about the rise in Covid-19 infections in China and again urged Beijing to quickly and regularly provide data on hospitalizations and deaths in the country.

“We continue to ask China for more rapid, regular, reliable data on hospitalizations and deaths, as well as a more comprehensive real-time viral sequence,” he said.

“WHO is concerned about the risk to human life in China and has reiterated the importance of vaccination, including booster doses, to protect against hospitalization, serious illness and death,” the WHO chief added.

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