EU state representatives want to discuss a uniform approach in their reaction to the coronavirus wave in China on Wednesday. The announcement was made today by the current Swedish Presidency of the Council in Brussels.
The main issue is how to deal with people entering the country from China. Yesterday, the French government asked other EU countries to test travelers coming from China for an infection with the virus.
Austria: No testing required
So far, Austria sees no reason to do so. On the sidelines of a visit by Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar to Vienna, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) called for concerted EU action on this issue. “Most EU countries do not have regulations. I also don’t think that’s necessary at the moment,” he said.
In early December, the Beijing government announced an abrupt departure from its strict Covid-zero policy under pressure from protests and a declining economy. Since then, a wave of coronavirus has rolled across the country of around 1.4 billion inhabitants.