China slams entry restrictions on its travellers, warns of ‘counter measures’
China on Tuesday hit out at the countries which imposed Covid test requirements on passengers travelling abroad from its country and warned that it could take “counter measures.” Over 12 countries, including the United States, Australia, and Canada, said they were imposing testing restrictions on arrivals among other measures to check the spread of the infection.
China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the government is “firmly opposed to such practices” and will take corresponding measures accordingly. He added that the entry restrictions targeting China lack “scientific basis and some practices are unacceptable.”
The restrictions were imposed after Covid cases rose rapidly in China following the government’s decision to overturn its strict lockdown policies. Following that, reports emerged indicating that 9,000 people are dying per day. However, official data shows that China has only reported 15 Covid deaths since it began unwinding restrictions on December 7.
China’s official data, however, might be misleading since it counts Covid deaths only as cases of people who died of respiratory failure induced by the virus after testing positive for a nucleic acid test, rather than other countries, which include all deaths within 28 days of positive tests.
China has rejected criticism of its Covid data and said any new mutations may be more infectious but less harmful. Its state media also played down the severity of the situation in the country, with its scientists expected to give a briefing to the World Health Organization on the evolution of the virus on Tuesday.
