It is most likely that the Chinese will be required to have a negative test before boarding the plane in China.
EU countries are likely to reach an agreement today on travel restrictions for travelers from China. This is what the special expert of Finland’s EU delegation predicts Pasi Mustonenwho will participate in the afternoon meeting as Finland’s representative.
“I don’t expect a very difficult meeting. The member countries seem to broadly share the view that action should be taken early,” says Mustonen.
Read more: Kiuru: If the EU does not implement restrictions on the Chinese, Finland must act on its own
EU countries are meeting today, Wednesday, to discuss a common line in the restrictions on tourists arriving from China. Cases of coronavirus have spread rapidly in China since the country, which drew a strict zero line, unexpectedly relaxed its restrictions less than a month ago.
The EU Commission has prepared a basic proposal for the meeting, which proposes, among other things, the use of masks on flights from China, research into the wastewater from aircraft coming from China, and “greater vigilance” regarding testing and vaccinations.
Finland supports the measures proposed by the Commission.
“At least masks, waste water research and testing will probably be included in the package to be decided today. Maybe the testing issue will be discussed a little more, but I don’t see any major contradictions between the member countries.”
Black according to this, it is likely that the testing will lead to a negative test being required from passengers even before boarding the plane in China. According to the Reuters news agency, the spokesperson of the EU Commission also stated the same on Tuesday: according to the spokesperson, the “overwhelming majority” of countries are in favor of pre-departure tests.
“It is known that large-scale arrival testing is not terribly easy to arrange. I think it is more likely to be country of origin testing. Random testing could be done in the destination country, through which virus transformations can be monitored,” says Mustonen.
Several countries have already independently introduced travel restrictions for people arriving from China. For example, in France, a negative test is required, which is done no more than 48 hours before boarding the plane. In addition, France conducts random testing on its own fields.
Also director of the Vantaa and Kerava welfare region Timo Aronkytö on Wednesday completely rejected the idea that large-scale testing would be done in Finland, at the end of Helsinki-Vantaa.
“Currently, we would have exactly zero attendants to send to the airport to test passengers,” Aronkytö told HS.
Read more: The director of Sote strongly rejects the testing of those coming from China at the airport
European The Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) estimated as recently as last week that systematic testing of travelers from China is not necessary. It justified its position, among other things, by the fact that the virus variants spreading in China are already in Europe and the vaccination rate of EU citizens is relatively high.
Also the Finnish Institute of Health and Welfare (THL) review last weekthat there would be no need for restrictions.
According to Mustonen, the precautionary principle defends the restriction measures.
“We prefer to do everything possible to better monitor the situation. Are there new changes, and how many infected people would be traveling.”
It is true that the disease is moving a lot in Europe already behind its own back, says Mustonen.
“But there are risks associated with the situation in China in the sense that the situation is not known exactly, because the figures coming from there are not reliable.”
In addition, the EU thinks that common rules of the game are important, says Mustonen. When some countries have already started to take action, we would rather have the same rules throughout the entire Union.
In any case, the EU’s future decision is about a recommendation, Mustonen reminds.
“Issues related to health protection are within the discretion of the member countries.”
in China travel restrictions have been criticized. The country has threatened to impose “countermeasures” on those countries that impose restrictions.
British newspaper of The Guardian according to the spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry had said at a press conference that, in China’s view, the travel restrictions have a political motive.
“We will take countermeasures in accordance with the principle of reciprocity,” the spokesperson had said, according to the newspaper.
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