Australia Makes Covid Negative Report Mandatory For Arrivals From China

Well being Minister Mark Butler mentioned the transfer will take impact from January 5.

Sydney:

Australia on Sunday turned the most recent nation to demand travellers from China present a damaging Covid-19 take a look at earlier than arrival, citing a “lack of complete data” from Beijing concerning the nation’s wave of circumstances

Well being Minister Mark Butler mentioned the transfer — which can take impact from January 5 — was being made “to safeguard Australia from the chance of potential new rising variants” and “in recognition of the quickly evolving state of affairs in China”.

Three years after the coronavirus first emerged within the Chinese language metropolis of Wuhan, Beijing this month started ditching its hardline containment coverage often called “zero-Covid”.

Chinese language hospitals have since been hit by a flood of largely aged sufferers, crematoriums have been overloaded and plenty of pharmacies have run out of fever drugs.

Whereas greater than 97 p.c of Australian adults have had no less than one Covid-19 vaccine dose, there’s concern in Canberra that Chinese language authorities aren’t adequately sharing particulars about case numbers, or which variants are circulating.

“This measure is in response to the numerous wave of Covid-19 infections in China and the potential for rising viral variants in that nation,” mentioned Butler.

“Fortuitously, in Australia we now have available entry to vaccines and coverings, and excessive underlying inhabitants immunity.”

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