Coronavirus: Canada, Australia, Morocco add to Covid restrictions on Chinese travellers

The World Health Organization on Friday once again urged China's health officials to regularly share specific and real-time information regarding the Covid-19 situation in the country, including more genetic sequencing data and data on hospitalizations and deaths. WHO's technical advisory group on the evolution of SARS-COV-2 is set to hold a meeting on Jan. 3, to which the agency said it has invited Chinese scientists to present detailed data on viral sequencing.

France and Spain will implement tougher Covid-19 measures for passengers arriving from China, authorities said Friday. France's government is requiring negative tests, and is urging French citizens to avoid non-essential travel to China. France is also reintroducing mask requirements on flights from China to France. French health authorities will carry out random PCR tests at airports on passengers arriving from China to identify potential new coronavirus variants. France and Spain said they would continue to push for a Europe-wide policy. France’s hospitals have struggled in recent weeks with a large number of patients because of three concurrent outbreaks: the seasonal flu, a wave of bronchitis cases and Covid-19.

Switzerland said on Friday it was not planning to tighten entry restrictions on travellers from China despite a surge in Covid-19 cases following Beijing's decision to drop its curbs on foreign travel. Switzerland's neighbours France and Italy require a negative Covid test for all visitors from mainland China, in a bid to avoid importing new variants from the Asian giant.

The UK will require travellers leaving China for Britain to provide proof of a negative Covid-19 test before boarding, UK media said on Friday. London and Paris became the latest governments to impose restrictions on arrivals from the Asian country, where coronavirus cases have surged