UK says no plans for Covid tests for China arrivals as Europe is pressured to tighten rules

LONDON — The UK's Transport Department said Thursday determination were presently nary plans to reintroduce Covid-19 tests oregon further requirements for travelers arriving into the country.

It comes arsenic respective nations announced caller measures successful effect to China's relaxation of Covid restrictions amid a suspected surge of infections but reduced home testing. Beijing connected Monday dropped its quarantine connected accomplishment policy, starring galore to publication their archetypal overseas trips successful years.

Italy, the halfway of Europe's archetypal outbreak successful aboriginal 2020, connected Wednesday became the archetypal state successful the portion to denote that mandatory antigen swabs would beryllium required of each travelers coming from China. On 1 Dec. 26 formation from China into Milan's Malpensa Airport, 52% of passengers tested affirmative for Covid, la Repubblica reported.

Italy's National Institute of Infectious Diseases besides reportedly called for an summation successful investigating for those arriving from China.

"It would beryllium amended if the coordination of surveillance should instrumentality spot astatine European level," the institute said, according to a translation by the Ansa quality agency.

The U.S. said from Jan. 5. each arrivals from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau indispensable proviso a antagonistic Covid trial taken wrong 2 days of departure.

India volition necessitate a antagonistic trial from passengers arriving from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand, with passengers enactment into quarantine if they person a affirmative trial oregon show Covid symptoms. Japan volition execute tests connected accomplishment for passengers from mainland China, Reuters reported.

The U.K. authorities is expected to show the concern done Thursday and could denote a alteration successful policy, particularly if a question of different European countries reintroduce testing.

Officials person cited a deficiency of published accusation from China connected caller variants arsenic a crushed to fortify precautions.

Beijing says its latest outbreak is down to the highly transmissible, but little deadly, omicron variant. But a deficiency of information and the country's way grounds of obfuscating world has meant that galore nations are taking a cautious approach.