No Covid test for Chinese arrivals in UK for now as Government continues to resist calls for action after country finally opened its borders again
- There is no epidemiological reason to test travellers from China, experts said
- Health Minister Steve Barclay met with Professor Chris Whitty and UKHSA chief
- Former ministers called for ‘over, not under’ reaction after China reopening
- Defence Secretary said yesterday that travel situation was ‘under review’
Calls to test all Chinese arrivals for Covid are being resisted by the Government despite pressure from former health ministers.
Scientific advisers have reportedly told ministers there is no justification to do so.
And experts at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) pointed to the fact that more than a million Britons are already infected and there is no sign of a new variant.
They said there was no clear epidemiological reason to introduce travel restrictions given the relatively small numbers of arrivals compared with current infections in Britain, The Times reported.
Italy introduced mandatory testing for passengers flying in from China. The Italian premier Giorgia Meloni increased pressure on the EU to implement a similar approach on Thursday
Yesterday, during a trip to Manchester Airport, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the policy is under review
But former health ministers Lord Bethell and Steve Brine called for a rethink that would see the UK ‘over, not under, react’ to the surge in cases in China after the hardline state relaxed its failed lockdown.
Scientists want China to share more genetic sequences to ensure there is no sign of a new variant, and work with neighbouring countries such as Singapore to look for unusual patterns of spread.
Half of Chinese passengers had the virus in samples from two recent flights to Europe and countries including the US, Italy, Japan, India and Taiwan have introduced tests.
Yesterday Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the policy is under review.
During a visit to military personnel covering for Border Force officials at Manchester Airport, he said: ‘The Government is looking at that, it’s under review.’
He added: ‘I think the Department for Transport will take medical advice, talk to the Department of Health and they’ll come to some decisions depending on what we see coming out of China.’
Former health ministers Lord Bethell and Steve Brine (pictured) called for a rethink that would see the UK ‘over, not under, react’ to the surge in cases in China after the hardline state relaxed its failed lockdown
Lord Bethell, who was under-secretary of state in the health department at the start of the pandemic, urged ministers to follow Italy’s ‘sensible’ approach
Health minister Will Quince said the ‘key threat’ will be if there is any new Covid variant from China, adding: ‘There’s no evidence [of one] at this point.’
Epidemiologists have warned unilateral border controls will not work as the virus will simply ‘spread to multiple countries’ and bypass the restrictions.
But it may delay the spread, and testing arrivals to the UK can also alert officials to any dangerous new variant.
It came after Lord Bethell, who was under-secretary of state in the health department at the start of the pandemic, urged ministers to follow Italy’s ‘sensible’ approach.
Meanwhile Mr Brine, chairman of the health and social care select committee, suggested the stance could soon change.
The former health minister said the NHS would not cope as many Chinese travellers are ‘getting sick’ due to their ‘poor vaccine’.
It comes after Health Secretary Steve Barclay met the head of the UKHSA Dame Jenny Harries and the chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty to discuss the situation yesterday.
A government spokesman said: ‘We are keeping the situation under review.’
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