Coronavirus outbreak in China: EU decides how to respond

The surge in the incidence of coronavirus in China has seriously worried Europe. Top country officials EU gathered for a meeting.

EU countries are discussing how to respond to the outbreak of covid in China. Top-level health officials gathered on December 29 to discuss the situation. This is a meeting of the EU committee on health security under the auspices of the European Commission. It includes MoH officials from all Member States. Previously, at the height of the pandemic, these meetings were held regularly. The meeting was convened to coordinate the response to outbreak of the epidemic coronavirus in China after Beijing radically changed the strategy of hard lockdowns to the lifting of restrictions, writes Euractiv.

Official statistics from China do not inspire confidence, so the incidence there is called into question. For this reason, a number of countries are introducing a test requirement for travelers arriving from China. Among European countries, so far only Italy has taken such a step, the rest are still thinking and want to focus on a common position.

Brigitte Autran, head of the risk assessment committee in France, said there was no scientific reason to strengthen anti-epidemic controls at the border at the moment. At least until there are no real signs of a dangerous new strain appearing in China.

Austria and Germany also tend to believe that it is too early to introduce restrictions. The absence of such plans was also stated by a representative of the British government. And the main airport of Italian Milan began testing passengers from China on December 26. Wherein 50% of those tested were carriers of coronavirus, mostly from Shanghai and Beijing. The United States, India, and Japan have already announced that they are introducing mandatory testing for all visitors from China due to fears of the emergence of new varieties of coronavirus.

Deputy Prime Minister of Italy Matteo Salvini draws attention to the fact that he sees no point in these measures if they are not used throughout Europe.

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