Australia has announced new COVID-19 testing requirements for travellers from China, but could this be the start of restrictions on other nations?
reported on Wednesday Australia's new pre-flight testing policy was part of a global move to encourage Beijing to be more transparent on data sharing with global health authorities, according to government sources.hit back at the entry restrictions targeting China"We are firmly opposed to attempts to manipulate the COVID measures for political purposes and will take countermeasures based on the principle of reciprocity," she said.
"On that context alone, I do wonder why we are choosing to test ... people travelling from China, rather than other countries where there are more concerning variants," the infectious diseases physician and microbiologist said.How Australia's COVID-19 tests for Chinese travellers could delay Yolanda's family reunion
He said the logistics and feasibility of testing travellers from particular locations given people's often complex itineraries, which could see people arrive by many routes, would not achieve the intended purpose."I'd really like to see us focus on strengthening surveillance within our country, not turning it on and off - but just having a really good ongoing surveillance here because we know that the virus isn't going to go away.
Ensuring people were still getting PCR tests so sequencing information on new variants could be gathered would also benefit, he said. This could include testing returned travellers to help authorities understand what infections were coming into the country. Australian Medical Association president Steve Robson says a genuine strategy rather than a "series of political responses" is needed to keep Australians safe.
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