Beijing threatens reaction to ‘unacceptable’ virus measures

BEIJING (AP) — The Chinese government blasted COVID-19 screening demands imposed on passengers from China and threatened countermeasures in opposition to international locations included, which include the U.S. and numerous European nations.

“We think that the entry constraints adopted by some nations around the world concentrating on China deficiency scientific foundation, and some extreme procedures are even more unacceptable,” Overseas Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning mentioned at a day-to-day briefing Tuesday.

“We are firmly opposed to makes an attempt to manipulate the COVID measures for political reasons and will acquire countermeasures primarily based on the basic principle of reciprocity,” she claimed.

The responses were being China’s sharpest to date on the situation. Australia and Canada this week joined a expanding checklist of nations demanding travelers from China to choose a COVID-19 check prior to boarding their flight, as China battles a nationwide outbreak of the coronavirus just after abruptly easing restrictions that had been in spot for significantly of the pandemic.

Other nations around the world like the U.S., U.K., India, Japan and a number of European nations have announced more durable COVID-19 measures on travelers from China amid problems around a deficiency of info on bacterial infections in China and fears of the risk that new variants may perhaps arise.

French Key Minister Elisabeth Borne defended the exams. Starting Wednesday, any person flying from China to France will have to present a unfavorable virus examination taken in the past 48 hrs and be matter to random tests on arrival.

“We are in our part, my authorities is in its part, safeguarding the French,” Borne mentioned Tuesday on France-Info radio.

Some Canadian authorities have questioned the usefulness of the tests. Kerry Bowman, assistant professor at the University of Toronto’s Temerty College of Drugs, stated that people can test good extended just after getting into the country.

The necessity is “not primarily based on science at this position,” he said soon after Canada announced actions previous weekend.

China, which for most of the pandemic adopted a “zero-COVID” approach that imposed severe limits aimed at stamping out the virus, abruptly eased people steps in December.

Chinese authorities previously claimed that from Jan. 8, abroad tourists would no longer require to quarantine on arriving in China, paving the way for Chinese inhabitants to vacation.