About ten countries, including the United States, Canada, France and Japan, have decided to require negative Covid-19 tests for travelers from China after Beijing lifted restrictions on foreign travel despite a rise in infections.
The press representative of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press conference that several countries have imposed restrictions only on immigrants from China, which lacks scientific justification and in several cases is unacceptable. He warned that China could react.
China abruptly lifted most of its restrictions last month after a long-standing tough policy to fight Covid-19, which has hit China’s economy hard. The restrictions were lifted without much preparation or warning, leading to a sharp increase in the number of cases and the overflow of hospitals and crematoria.
Foreign countries explained the decision to require negative Covid-19 tests for travelers from China with concerns over China’s opening up regarding the number of sick people and the risk that new variants of Covid-19 could appear.
China has recorded just 22 deaths from Covid-19 since December but has significantly tightened the criteria by which those deaths are recorded.
