The Republic of Moldova will not impose for now the COVID-19 tests on travelers from China. Nicolae Furtuna argues the decision
The Republic of Moldova, for now, does not plan to require travelers from China to present a negative test for COVID-19, as the European Union states and some non-member countries have decided. A statement in this sense was made by the head of the Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases Directorate of the National Public Health Agency(ANSP), Nicolae Furtună, for Radio Moldova. According to him, one argument would be that the Republic of Moldova does not have direct flights with China.
Worried about the emergence of new variants of COVID-19, the EU states, but also Japan, Canada, the USA, South Korea, Australia, Great Britain and other countries have decided to impose testing on arrival or boarding for travelers from China. EU member states are also encouraged to "test the sewage of airports receiving international flights and that of aircraft arriving from China". Another recommendation is for all passengers on flights to and from China to wear a protective mask, according to the conclusions of the expert meeting organized by the Swedish EU presidency.
The Republic of Moldova, for now, does not plan such measures, because it does not have direct flights with China, said the head of the Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases Directorate at the National Public Health Agency Nicolae Furtună.
"I don't know if it's appropriate, for example, to test all passengers coming from international airports for the simple reason that there might also be people coming from China, from Munich or Frankfurt. We might mandate testing, but I don't think that's a problem. These are not restrictions, they are some indirect methods to realize the extent of the phenomenon in China", declared Nicolae Furtună.
Nicolae Furtună urged Moldovan citizens to continue to comply with the recommendations of the authorities regarding the prevention of the spread of the COVID-19 infection and other communicable diseases, including vaccination, avoiding crowded areas, wearing a protective mask, as appropriate, disinfecting hands. Beijing has condemned the restrictions imposed by a growing number of countries around the world, warning it could take "countermeasures".
Last week, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control deemed systematic screening of travelers "unwarranted", taking into account that EU countries "have relatively high levels of immunization and vaccination" and "variants from China are already in the EU ".
Instead, the World Health Organization considered "understandable" the control measures taken around the world, due to "the high spread of the virus in China and the absence of complete data on the epidemiological situation of COVID-19".
