Array
The European Union on Wednesday “strongly encouraged” its member states to impose pre-departure COVID-19 testing of passengers from China, in a move that is likely to upset Beijing and has already been criticized by the global airline industry.
Following a week of talks between EU health experts, the bloc stopped short of agreeing that all 27 member states impose such a travel restriction that members like Italy, France and Spain had already implemented at a national level. Instead, it only urged nations to do so.
China has already vehemently rejected such actions, warning of “countermeasures” if such policies were to be imposed across the bloc.
Even though the EU presidency said in a statement that the member states “agreed on a coordinated precautionary approach,” part of the approach fell short of full agreement.
In the most crucial part of the statement, it said that “the Member States are strongly encouraged to introduce, for all passengers departing from China to Member States, the requirement for a negative COVID-19 test.”
On other issues, the EU said there was full agreement to have passengers wear masks when traveling to and from China and to offer advice on personal hygiene and health issues.
Earlier Wednesday, EU Commission spokesman Tim McPhie had said that the “overwhelming majority of countries are in favor” of imposing testing of passengers from China prior to departure.
