China Covid: UK set to require negative test for arrivals - BBC

The UK is acceptable to denote that passengers coming from China volition person to supply a antagonistic Covid trial earlier they question to Britain.

The UK has go the latest federation to bring successful screening for travellers from China aft cases surged pursuing Beijing's determination to unbend its zero-Covid policy.

China has said it volition afloat reopen its borders connected 8 January.

Several countries, including the US and India, are besides bringing successful testing.

It is understood the UK volition request a antagonistic trial earlier travellers tin committee a formation from mainland China - bringing Britain into enactment with the attack taken by the US.

While the announcement has not yet been formally made, the UK defence caput confirmed connected Friday that the authorities was reviewing the request for investigating for passengers from China.

Asked whether the authorities would see restrictions, Ben Wallace said: "The authorities is looking astatine that, it's nether review, we noticed evidently what the US has done and India and I deliberation Italy has looked astatine it."

The caput of the World Health Organization (WHO) said it was "understandable" that immoderate countries were imposing these caller restrictions.

But China's overseas ministry said earlier this week that its "epidemic situation" wide was "predictable and nether control".

The existent toll of regular cases and deaths successful China is chartless arsenic officials person stopped requiring cases to beryllium reported, and changed classifications for Covid deaths.

Spain, Israel and South Korea besides announced connected Friday that they volition present investigating requirements successful effect to the expanding fig of infections successful China.

Some scientists person questioned the attack of the UK and US - saying it is amended to surface radical erstwhile they person arrived. Italy and Spain person introduced post-arrival testing.

But not each countries person announced further controls. Germany has joined Australia, France, and Portugal successful saying determination volition beryllium nary caller rules yet.

Prof Andrew Pollard, president of the Joint Committee connected Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), said the restrictions are improbable to forestall caller Covid variants reaching the UK and it was hard to cognize what interaction specified a determination would person here.

He told BBC News: "Trying to prohibition a microorganism by adjusting what we bash with question has already been shown not to enactment precise well.

"We've seen that with the bans connected question from assorted countries during the pandemic, that hasn't stopped those viruses travelling astir the satellite eventually."

The authorities has travel nether unit from Conservative MPs who privation a much robust effect from ministers.

Tory MP David Davis suggested mandatory investigating for those coming from China was a "pretty sensible requirement".

And Tobias Ellwood, president of the Commons Defence Select Committee, described investigating arsenic a "minimal effort".

He told LBC radio: "Let's get investigating successful spot for passengers careless of nationality connected each incoming flights from China.

"Do we privation to instrumentality a hazard aft each that we've been done successful this pandemic?"