UK, France, and Spain to require COVID tests for China passengers

The UK has joined a growing list of countries, including India, to introduce curbs on travelers from China amid a surge in coronavirus cases in the country after Chinese authorities relaxed the strict "zero-COVID" rules.
Passengers arriving from China to England from January 5, 2023, will need to show a negative COVID-19 pre-departure test (PDT) taken no more than two days prior to departure.. France and Spain will implement tougher COVID-19 measures for passengers arriving from China, authorities said on Friday. The UKHSA is launching surveillance from January 8, which will see a sample of passengers arriving in England from mainland China tested for COVID-19 at the point of their arrival.
France's government is requiring negative tests and is urging French citizens to avoid nonessential travel to China. France is also reintroducing mask requirements on flights from China to France.
French health authorities will carry out random PCR tests at airports on passengers arriving from China to identify potential new coronavirus variants.
France and Spain said they would continue to push for a Europe-wide policy.
France's hospitals have struggled in recent weeks with a large number of patients because of three concurrent outbreaks: the seasonal flu, a wave of bronchitis cases and COVID-19.
Earlier, Spain's government said it would require all air passengers coming from China to have negative tests or proof of vaccination.
Health Minister Carolina Dar has told reporters that Spain would be pushing for similar measures at a European level following the surge in cases in China. She said coronavirus health controls would be stepped up at Spanish airports.
Dar didn't specify when the new requirement would take effect.
Spain made the announcement after Italy said it would require coronavirus tests for airline passengers from China.
Health officials from the 27-member European Union on Thursday promised to continue talks on seeking a common approach but held back from imposing restrictions.
There exists a shared concern internationally and nationally over the evolution of cases in China and the difficulty of making a correct evaluation of the COVID-19 situation given the scant information that we have available,? Dar has said.
Dar has noted that China would be lifting travel restrictions from January 8 and there was likely to be a major increase in people traveling abroad.
She said the chief concern was the possible emergence of new coronavirus variants and it was important to act fast.
The United States announced new COVID-19 testing requirements Wednesday for travelers from China, joining some Asian nations that had imposed restrictions.India has joined the United States, Japan, Italy and Taiwan in imposing mandatory COVID tests for travelers from China, amid a COVID-19 surge there after authorities relaxed strict "zero-COVID" rules.