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Travelers with protective clothing in Xiamen, China
Photo: MARK R. CRISTINO/EPA
Many experts are watching the current coronavirus development in China with unease.
"In the event of an explosive spread, as is currently the case in China, you have to expect the virus to mutate," said the chairman of the Federal Association of Public Health Physicians, Johannes Nießen, to the newspapers of the Funke media group.
The German medical officers are therefore calling for a Europe-wide test obligation for all travelers from the country.
It is now necessary "a Europe-wide uniform protection concept".
"Every traveler from China should be tested when entering the EU using a quick test," said Nießen.
If the test result is positive, a PCR test must follow and the sample then sequenced.
"Anyone who has become infected should definitely have to go into isolation," said the head of the medical officer.
China is currently experiencing the highest increase in Covid infections in the world, and hospitals are overcrowded in many places.
In early December, Beijing backed away from its strict zero-Covid policy in a radical about-face.
Since then, the corona restrictions have been significantly relaxed.
According to officially unconfirmed internal estimates, 248 million people, or 18 percent of the population, became infected in the first three weeks of December alone.
WHO urgently urges more transparency
Several countries, including the USA and also European countries such as France, Spain and Great Britain, have already ordered a corona test for travelers from China.
The federal government sees no need for action so far.
The EU states want to discuss a common strategy on Wednesday.
At a meeting with representatives of China, the World Health Organization (WHO) recently called for more transparency about the infection process in the country.
During the exchange, the Chinese side was repeatedly asked to collect precise data in real time and share it with the WHO, it said at the turn of the year.
The information requested by the WHO included "more data on genetic sequencing" and data on "hospital admissions, intensive care unit occupancy and deaths".
jok/AFP