Sources claim PM's decision to require negative results from Chinese arrivals ... trends now
View
comments
Rishi Sunak’s decision to require negative Covid tests from arrivals from China is political rather than medical, sources claim.
The Prime Minister’s change in stance on testing – after it was previously ruled out – is designed to send a signal to Beijing, they say.
There are major concerns about the reliability of the Covid data coming out of China, and there are fears that this could hamper efforts to identify new variants of concern.
But Government sources said the decision was primarily political after the UK’s allies announced that they would impose restrictions on the country.
Scientific advisers have said that compulsory testing of arrivals from China will not make a major difference to the UK and have said that it is not a priority. Pictured: masked travellers check in at Beijing Capital International Airport on December 29,
