Swiss keep borders open for arrivals from China | Inquirer News

Swiss keep borders open for arrivals from China

/ 01:17 PM December 31, 2022

Geneva airport

Travellers queue at Geneva Airport on June 15, 2022 after Swiss airspace was closed after a computer glitch with the air traffic control system grounded flights at the country’s main airport. AFP FILE PHOTO

GENEVA — Switzerland said on Friday it was not planning to tighten entry restrictions on travelers from China despite a surge in Covid-19 cases following Beijing’s decision to drop its curbs on foreign travel.

Switzerland’s neighbors France and Italy require a negative Covid test for all visitors from mainland China, in a bid to avoid importing new variants from the Asian giant.

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Israel, Spain and South Korea on Friday also joined the lengthening list of nations including India, Japan and the United States in imposing Covid tests on travelers from China.

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“It is not currently necessary to provide proof of vaccination, recovery from Covid-19 or a (negative) test to enter Switzerland,” a Swiss health ministry spokesman told AFP.

“There are no plans for the moment to introduce health measures at the border either,” he said.

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The European Union’s infectious disease agency (ECDC) said on Thursday it believed introducing mandatory Covid screenings for travelers from China was “unjustified”.

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Germany said it did not currently see the need to impose entry restrictions either, but argued for a coordinated EU-wide system to monitor variants at European airports.

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Switzerland is not in the EU but is surrounded by nations who are members of the bloc and is in Europe’s Schengen open-borders zone. Bern plans to work with Brussels on any future moves.

“Switzerland is working closely with the EU and European countries to manage the Covid-19 crisis and will continue to do so.

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“Switzerland will coordinate further action with its EU partners if need be,” the health ministry spokesman said.

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TAGS: China, COVID-19, Health, Switzerland

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