The Swiss Federal Council said on Wednesday that it was not planning to introduce compulsory COVID-19 testing for people coming from China, despite a difficult epidemiological situation there
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th January, 2023) The Swiss Federal Council said on Wednesday that it was not planning to introduce compulsory COVID-19 testing for people coming from China, despite a difficult epidemiological situation there.
"The Swiss Federal Council discussed the latest EU recommendations on the measures to be taken for persons entering the Union by air when it met on 11 January 2023. The Council resolved that travellers from China should not be required to undergo compulsory COVID-19 testing at the present time," the statement read.
The government noted that COVID-19 variants currently circulating in China "pose only a small risk to" the Swiss population and the country's healthcare system.
The Swiss authorities also stated that they would continue to closely monitor further developments around the epidemiological situation in China, urging people to be informed about hygiene measures.
"The Council did resolve, however, that travellers from and to China should be more comprehensively informed about hygiene measures," the council added.
Last week, the EU member states agreed to put in place a recommendation concerning pre-flight COVID-19 testing and mask wearing for passengers arriving from China.
In December, China announced that it was abandoning its zero-tolerance policy for COVID-19 and preparing to reopen its borders in January. The end of nearly three years of strict measures in a country of 1.4 billion people is feared to potentially lead to a massive spread of the disease across the globe.
