Portugal to require Covid tests for passengers on flights from China

Portugal: The testing requirement will take effect from Sunday, Portugal’s health ministry said in an emailed statement late on Friday.

Published on: Jan 7, 2023, 16:03:51 IST

Bloomberg

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Portugal is the latest European country to require passengers on flights from China to present a negative Covid test before boarding the airplane.

Portugal: Arriving travelers queue for Covid-19 tests at Changshui International Airport. (Bloomberg)

The testing requirement will take effect from Sunday, Portugal’s health ministry said in an emailed statement late on Friday.

Passengers and crew traveling to and from China must use a face mask during the flight. Additionally, there will be wastewater monitoring at Lisbon airport and on planes arriving from China to identify the virus and carry out genomic sequencing.

The European Union on Wednesday “strongly encouraged” countries to adopt pre-departure Covid testing, recommended masking on flights, and urged wastewater checks as a response to the Covid outbreak in China.

For its part, China on Saturday said it would monitor travelers entering at some border crossings for infections of the new XBB.1.5 variant. The country is set to reopen its borders after reversing its Covid Zero policy in December.

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