- Reaction score
- 1,678
More than half of passengers on a flight from China to Italy have tested positive for COVID-19 - as China prepares to open up its borders despite a huge surge in infections.
Two flights into Milan were among the first to see passengers subjected to new mandatory testing imposed on Chinese travellers.
Guido Bertolaso, Lombardy regional councillor for welfare, told a news conference: "On the first flight, out of 92 passengers 35 (38%) are positive. On the second, out of 120 passengers 62 (52%) are positive."
On Wednesday evening the US became the fifth country to impose restrictions on Chinese travellers - as China prepares to issue ordinary passports and visas in a huge step away from COVID measures that have isolated the country for nearly three years.
A further departure from restrictive COVID measures was taken when Hong Kong scrapped its restrictive quarantine regulations for people who test positive for coronavirus.
Beijing's announcement means millions of Chinese people could go abroad for next month's Lunar New Year holiday - the first time most have been able to do so since 2020.
Travel services companies Trip.com and Qunar said international ticket bookings and searches for visa information on their websites rose five to eight times after the announcement. Top destinations included Japan, Thailand, South Korea, the United States, Britain and Australia.
news.sky.com
2020, Round 3.
Two flights into Milan were among the first to see passengers subjected to new mandatory testing imposed on Chinese travellers.
Guido Bertolaso, Lombardy regional councillor for welfare, told a news conference: "On the first flight, out of 92 passengers 35 (38%) are positive. On the second, out of 120 passengers 62 (52%) are positive."
On Wednesday evening the US became the fifth country to impose restrictions on Chinese travellers - as China prepares to issue ordinary passports and visas in a huge step away from COVID measures that have isolated the country for nearly three years.
A further departure from restrictive COVID measures was taken when Hong Kong scrapped its restrictive quarantine regulations for people who test positive for coronavirus.
Beijing's announcement means millions of Chinese people could go abroad for next month's Lunar New Year holiday - the first time most have been able to do so since 2020.
Travel services companies Trip.com and Qunar said international ticket bookings and searches for visa information on their websites rose five to eight times after the announcement. Top destinations included Japan, Thailand, South Korea, the United States, Britain and Australia.
Half of passengers on China flight to Italy have COVID - as US becomes fifth country to tighten restrictions on Chinese travellers
Beijing's announcement that it will issue ordinary passports and visas means millions of Chinese people could go abroad for next month's Lunar New Year holiday - and concerns that China opening up could lead to a new global spread of COVID are already being realised.
news.sky.com
2020, Round 3.
