Beijing today condemned
a dozen countries' imposition of Covid tests on travelers from China, warning it
could take "countermeasures" in retaliation
.
"Some countries have put in place entry restrictions aimed exclusively at Chinese travellers. This has no scientific basis and some practices are unacceptable," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said, adding that China could "take countermeasures, on the basis of the principle of reciprocity".
"They seem to me to be very normal measures. Many Chinese but also many Italians from China do it.
It is to protect health
to swab, it has nothing offensive
. It is a normal measure" to "prevent Covid from spreading".
This was underlined by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani
on Beijing's reactions to the new measures decided by Italy for arrivals from China, in the broadcast 'Today is another day' on Rai1.
"There is no offensive or restrictive intention of freedom - explained Tajani -. We Italians have been in the vanguard. We were the first country and then others followed".
French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said COVID-19 tests for travelers arriving from China would continue despite Beijing's protests.
"I think we are doing our duty to ask for tests," Borne told France Info radio when she was asked about China's reaction, before adding: "We will continue to do it."
On Covid, the EU commissioner at Salute Stella Kyriakides "has contacted her Chinese counterpart to offer solidarity and support and this includes public health expertise as well as the donation of vaccines adapted to the variants," said European Commission spokesman Tim McPhee, during the course. of the daily briefing.
"We are following developments in China and have always offered support to China as to any other country to help deal with Covid 19," said spokeswoman Dana Spinant.
And it was the
Financial Times that reported
the EU offer of vaccines against Covid-19 to help Beijing contain the spread of the epidemic in the country, after the end of the restrictions.
The Financial Times reported that Beijing has not yet responded to the offer.
A meeting of the EU Health Security Committee, a technical-consultative group on health security in the EU, is scheduled for this afternoon at European level.
Replica Beijing
.
"China - so Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning - has established the world's largest production lines of Covid vaccines with an annual production capacity of more than 7 billion doses and an annual production of more than 5.5 billion doses, which meet the needs of ensuring that all people eligible for vaccination have access to Covid vaccines".
"The Covid situation in China is predictable and under control. We are ready to work with the international community in solidarity, address the challenge more effectively," she added.
ECDC, no impact in Europe from the Chinese wave
"The wave of Covid cases in China is not expected to affect the epidemiological situation of Covid-19 in the European Union and the European Economic Area".
This is what the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said in a statement
.
According to the European body, "the variants circulating in China are already circulating in the EU and, as such, do not pose a danger to the immune response of EU/EEA citizens. Furthermore, EU/EEA citizens have relatively high levels of immunity and vaccination."
In reconstructing the Chinese situation, the ECDC recalled how, after the peak reached on December 2, "in the last three weeks, the incidence has decreased, probably also due to fewer tests carried out".
There is also a lack of reliable data "on Covid-19 cases, hospital admissions, deaths, as well as the capacity and occupancy of intensive care units in China".
Instead, more solid data is finally available on the variants in circulation: according to the
ECDC in the last month the Asian country has deposited 592 sequences of the SarsCov2 virus, 540 of which in the single week from 25 December to 30 December.
Of these, 35% was represented by the sub-variant BA.5.2, 24% by BF.7, 18% by BQ.1 (so-called Cerberus), 5% by BA.2.75 (called Centaurus), 4 % from XBB (Gryphon) and 2% from BA.2.
The sub-variants BA.5.6, BA.4.6, BM.4.1.1 and BA.2.3.20 have also been reported.
Reassure that no new variants have been detected at the moment.
The situation, concludes the ECDC, continues to be carefully monitored and "if necessary, risk assessments will be reviewed and actions will be adjusted".
540 of which in the single week from 25 December to 30 December.
Of these, 35% was represented by the sub-variant BA.5.2, 24% by BF.7, 18% by BQ.1 (so-called Cerberus), 5% by BA.2.75 (called Centaurus), 4 % from XBB (Gryphon) and 2% from BA.2.
The sub-variants BA.5.6, BA.4.6, BM.4.1.1 and BA.2.3.20 have also been reported.
Reassure that no new variants have been detected at the moment.
The situation, concludes the ECDC, continues to be carefully monitored and "if necessary, risk assessments will be reviewed and actions will be adjusted".
540 of which in the single week from 25 December to 30 December.
Of these, 35% was represented by the sub-variant BA.5.2, 24% by BF.7, 18% by BQ.1 (so-called Cerberus), 5% by BA.2.75 (called Centaurus), 4 % from XBB (Gryphon) and 2% from BA.2.
The sub-variants BA.5.6, BA.4.6, BM.4.1.1 and BA.2.3.20 have also been reported.
Reassure that no new variants have been detected at the moment.
The situation, concludes the ECDC, continues to be carefully monitored and "if necessary, risk assessments will be reviewed and actions will be adjusted".
The sub-variants BA.5.6, BA.4.6, BM.4.1.1 and BA.2.3.20 have also been reported.
Reassure that no new variants have been detected at the moment.
The situation, concludes the ECDC, continues to be carefully monitored and "if necessary, risk assessments will be reviewed and actions will be adjusted".
The sub-variants BA.5.6, BA.4.6, BM.4.1.1 and BA.2.3.20 have also been reported.
Reassure that no new variants have been detected at the moment.
The situation, concludes the ECDC, continues to be carefully monitored and "if necessary, risk assessments will be reviewed and actions will be adjusted".