The World Health Organisation again urged China’s health officials to regularly share specific, real-time information on the country’s Covid surge, as the UK joined other countries in bringing in travel restrictions, citing a lack of data as the reason. WHO Covid experts met Chinese officials on Friday and “again stressed the importance of transparency and regular sharing of data to formulate accurate risk assessments and to inform effective response”, said the WHO chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. In particular, WHO requested more genetic sequencing data, data on hospitalisations, intensive care unit…
Tag: Coronavirus
Rishi Sunak to impose Covid tests on travellers from China in U-turn
Rishi Sunak has performed a major U-turn by imposing Covid checks on travellers from China from 5 January, after criticism from a growing number of Conservative MPs over his “dithering”. After a series of seemingly mixed messages about whether the UK would follow the lead of Spain, Italy, Israel, the US and India in screening arrivals, the prime minister backed the move to bring the UK into line with its allies in a change of policy on Friday. The UK Health Security Agency will also initiate surveillance from 8 January,…
China: another Covid wave expected in rural areas after lunar new year
China is preparing for another wave of Covid to hit its more vulnerable countryside in early 2023, as the current wave of infections overwhelms hospitals and intensive care units in many cities. The lunar new year, China’s most important holiday, falls in late January. It offers a chance of reunion after years of separation under the harsh internal travel restrictions and lockdowns of the previous zero-Covid policy. But as hundreds of millions of workers head home, many are expected to take the disease with them, to areas that have fewer…
In China, here is what we want the west to know about our Covid response | Zheng Zeguang
Over the past weeks, Beijing has become the first city to go through the infection peak, and life and work are returning to normal in the capital. The Covid-19 situation in China is generally stable and controllable, and people are making plans to work, study and travel. That’s why the Chinese government has announced that, starting from 8 January, Covid-19 will be managed with measures against Class B instead of the more serious Class A infectious diseases in accordance with the law. There will also be new cross-border travel rules.…
China bridles as EU states prepare to scale up Covid monitoring
European countries are preparing to scale up the monitoring of potential new coronavirus variants from China, as Spain becomes the second EU state to bring back mandatory testing at airports in response to Beijing’s rapid rollback of anti-infection measures. Spain on Friday followed Italy’s lead by requiring arrivals from China to show a negative test result, though unlike Rome it makes exceptions for those who can prove they are fully vaccinated. At a press conference announcing the new measures, the Spanish health minister Carolina Darias also said she was pushing…
Amid the climate crisis, Covid and crumbling democracies, I find hope in people who show the best of humanity | Trent Zimmerman
As we farewell 2022, many of the world’s citizens will be hoping for a better new year. It is hard to look back on the past year – indeed couple of years – without a high degree of angst about the direction of our global community. We have been battered by a pandemic that, while past the peak for most nations, is still disrupting societies and economies. After two years of its hermit-like isolation, 1.4 billion Chinese citizens are now experiencing a nationwide Covid onslaught for the first time with…
China Covid: experts estimate 9,000 deaths a day as US says it may sample wastewater from planes
The United States is considering sampling wastewater taken from international aircraft to track any emerging new Covid-19 variants as infections surge in China, as UK based health experts estimate that about 9,000 people a days are now dying of the disease in China. The proposed of testing wastewater by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would provide a better solution to tracking the virus and slowing its entry into the US than new travel restrictions announced this week, three infectious disease experts said. The US and a number…
UK ministers under pressure to screen China arrivals for Covid
Ministers are coming under pressure to screen arrivals from China as the number of Covid-19 cases there continues to surge after Beijing’s abrupt decision to end most of its strict pandemic restrictions. The US became the latest country to impose controls on travellers entering the country from China on Wednesday, demanding that all such arrivals show proof of a negative Covid test. The UK government has so far refused to follow suit, although there were mixed messages on Thursday over whether that policy might change in the coming days. The…
Ben Wallace says restrictions for travellers from China ‘under review’ – video
The UK is currently reviewing the possibility of introducing restrictions on travellers coming from China as the country battles a surge in Covid-19 cases, defence secretary Ben Wallace has said. Earlier on Thursday, a government spokesperson said Britain had no plans to bring back Covid-19 testing for those entering the country, when asked about a Daily Telegraph report suggesting curbs for arrivals from China were under consideration. Several countries, including India, Italy, Japan and the United States, have announced mandatory testing for travellers from China, where cases are on the…
Why did China relax its Covid policy – and should we be worried?
After long pursing a zero-Covid policy, China has relaxed many restrictions including quarantine rules for travellers. But some experts have raised concerns the U-turn may cause problems. We take a look at why. What has happened in China? Until recently China followed a zero-Covid policy, including strict lockdowns and quarantining those testing positive and their close contacts. However, earlier this month China made an abrupt U-turn, abandoning many – although not all– of its restrictions, apparently in response to protests. Among the measures it has scrapped is the use of…