The European Union’s health agency has termed screening of travellers from China, which is experiencing a resurgent Covid outbreak, as “unjustified”, saying that such measures are not required to be re-introduced in the European countries.
Several countries including US, Italy, India, and Australia have announced Covid screening measures.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control believed that such measures were unnecessary as the surge was “not expected to impact” the EU.
“High levels of Covid in China are anticipated given the country’s low immunity and recent relaxation of its rules,” the ECDC said in a statement on Thursday, after the health officials concluded the talks on response in Brussels.
“But higher immunity in the EU means a Covid surge in China is not expected to impact the bloc.”
The health agency argued that the COVID-19 variants circulating in China are already present in the EU, and the chances of potential imported infections rather “rather low”.
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“And citizens in the bloc have relatively high vaccination and immunisation.”
The recommendations provided by EU are advisory in nature, and each nation is free to make their own policies, like Italy.
“We remain vigilant and will be ready to use the emergency brake if necessary,” the ECDC said.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni raised concerns on the EU’s recommendations, saying that her country’s efforts to curb COVID-19 transmissions from China would be undermined if other EU countries did not follow suit.
In the UK, a minister said the issue was “under review”, reports BBC.
(With inputs from agencies)
