EU states looking for joint stance on Covid testing for travellers from China

Italy urges action at European level as more than 50% of recent arrivals from China test positive at Milan airport

Member states of the European Union are trying to find a joint stance on how to treat travellers entering the borderless Schengen area from China, after Italy urged the rest of the economic bloc to bring back anti-Covid checks following Beijing’s rapid rollback of its previously stringent hygiene restrictions.

Italy on Wednesday brought back mandatory coronavirus tests for all airline travellers arriving from China, following reports of rising infection rates in the world’s most populous country.