Covid Highlights: Europe health officials oppose restrictions on China travel

Coronavirus hightlights: Centre increases surveillance against Covid-19 and directs mandatory negative RT-PCR report for travellers arriving from China and five other countries.

Negative RT-PCR test report has been made mandatory for international passengers coming from six countries. (File)

India has ramped up its surveillance against Covid-19 and keeping a close watch on the pandemic ahead of New Year. Amid reports of Covid surge across the globe, especially in China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand and Singapore, the Centre has mandated negative RT-PCR test report for international passengers landing in India from those six countries.  Experts have predicted a rise in Covid cases in India in the next 40 days based on previous trends and urged to stay on alert. The current surge in cases driven by the latest sub-variant of Omicron, BF.7, is considered to be less severe even if it has the capacity to create a wave. Its transmissibility is high, however, the Union health ministry believes the number of deaths and hospitalisation caused by this variant will be low. Experts have also assured that India's Covid-19 scenario will not worsen like that of China....Read More

Follow all the updates here:

• 29 Dec 2022, 10:53:49 PM IST

  11 new Covid cases in Delhi

  Delhi logged 11 fresh COVID-19 cases on Thursday with a positivity rate of 0.29 per cent, according to data shared by the city health department here.

  No Covid-related fatality has been reported, it said.

  Delhi recorded 13 fresh COVID-19 cases on Wednesday with a positivity rate of 0.33 per cent, reported PTI.

• 29 Dec 2022, 09:24:19 PM IST

  Europe Health Officials Oppose Restrictions on China Travel

  European health officials called screenings and restrictions on travelers from China unjustified, a stark contrast to the growing number of countries calling for tougher measures.

  Europeans have high levels of protection against Covid-19, and health systems on the continent can handle the current load of infections, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said Thursday, reported Bloomberg. 

• 29 Dec 2022, 08:33:17 PM IST

  Britain reviewing China arrivals policy after COVID surge - minister

  Britain is reviewing whether to impose restrictions on people arriving from China after a surge in COVID infections there, but has no current plans to do so, officials said on Thursday.

  Defence minister Ben Wallace told reporters a further update was possible in the coming days, but another minister said that a review of evidence so far did not suggest any concerning new variant that would lead the government to impose restrictions, reported Reuters.

• 29 Dec 2022, 07:33:12 PM IST

  Lack of info on China's Covid-19 surge stirs global concern

  Moves by several countries to mandate COVID-19 tests for passengers arriving from China reflect global concern that new variants could emerge in its ongoing explosive outbreak — and that the government may not inform the rest of the world quickly enough, reported AP.

• 29 Dec 2022, 04:42:45 PM IST

  Health min holds meet with drug manufacturers on Covid management

  Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya is holding a virtual meeting with drug manufacturing pharma companies for advance preparedness for Covid-19 management, said Official sources, reported ANI. 

• 29 Dec 2022, 03:03:42 PM IST

  RT-PCR test must for flyers from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand from Jan 1, says health minister

  RT-PCR test made mandatory for flyers coming from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand from 1st January 2023. They will have to upload their reports on the Air Suvidha portal before travel: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. 

• 29 Dec 2022, 02:10:36 PM IST

  Markets fall in several countries over Covid surge fears

  European stock markets opened lower Thursday, mirroring Asian losses, as investors fretted over China's latest Covid surge. (AFP)

  Chinese stocks declined as traders fret the nation’s outbreak may derail a much-awaited economic recovery at home and abroad. (Bloomberg)

  Hong Kong stocks closed lower on Thursday, tracking losses across the region, with markets impacted by a Covid surge in China darkening investor outlook. (AFP)

   

• 29 Dec 2022, 12:49:05 PM IST

  Airlines give lukewarm response to China's border reopening

  The world’s airlines are taking a cautious approach to China’s reopening, reluctant to immediately change up schedules and divert planes from other routes despite the internal pent-up demand for international travel. Read more

• 29 Dec 2022, 12:32:08 PM IST

  Government closely monitoring exports of masks, medicines: Report

  The government has started close monitoring of exports of products used to deal with Covid infections such as PPE kits, masks, ventilators and certain medicines like paracetamol on account of rising infections in various countries, including China, an official said. (PTI)

• 29 Dec 2022, 10:29:52 AM IST

  No need to restrict Chinese visitors: Philippines' health department

  The Philippines’ Department of Health doesn’t see a need yet to close borders or impose tighter Covid restrictions on inbound Chinese travelers, the agency’s officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said. (Bloomberg)

• 29 Dec 2022, 09:28:49 AM IST

  No change in Covid rules for travellers from China: Australian PM

  Australia is making no change to its rules around allowing travellers from China into the country, despite measures by some countries to require mandatory COVID-19 tests, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Thursday. (Reuters)

• 29 Dec 2022, 09:26:52 AM IST

  Students, teachers and staff of private, government schools need to wear masks: Uttarakhand DG of education

  Uttarakhand's director general of education Bansidhar Tiwari said student, teachers and staff of all private and government schools will have to come wearing masks and follow using sanitiser, thermal screening.

• 29 Dec 2022, 08:40:58 AM IST

  China's zero-Covid measure a ‘breeding ground’ for new variants: Experts

  An explosion of Covid-19 cases in China as the country lifts its zero-Covid measures could create a "potential breeding ground" for new variants to emerge, health experts warn. (AFP)

• 29 Dec 2022, 07:54:06 AM IST

  Hong Kong asks Japan to withdraw Covid restrictions

  Hong Kong's government has asked Japan to withdraw a COVID-19 restriction that requires passenger flights from the financial hub to land at only four designated Japanese airports, saying the decision will impact around 60,000 passengers, reports Reuters

• 29 Dec 2022, 07:36:02 AM IST

  UK to consider Covid curbs for travellers arriving from China: Report

  The United Kingdom will consider on Thursday imposing COVID-19 restrictions for arrivals from China, including requiring tests for the coronavirus, Reuters quotes The Telegraph.

• 29 Dec 2022, 06:59:49 AM IST

  Italy imposes Covid tests for passengers from China

  The Italian government has directed mandatory Covid-19 tests and virus sequencing for travellers entering the country from China.

• 29 Dec 2022, 06:25:05 AM IST

  China reports one Covid death on December 28: Report

  China reported one new COVID-19 death in the mainland for Dec. 28, compared with three deaths a day earlier, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday, reports Reuters.

• 29 Dec 2022, 06:22:35 AM IST

  China to resume issuing passports, visas as measure to ease curbs

  China says it will resume issuing passports for tourism in another big step away from anti-virus controls that isolated the country for almost three years, setting up a potential flood of Chinese going abroad for next month’s Lunar New Year holiday, reports AP.