The United States said Tuesday that the controls imposed on travelers from China are «prudent health measures» and claims that China has no reason to retaliate against the outbreak of cases of COVID-19 in the Asian giant.
«There is no reason for retaliation here just because countries around the world are taking prudent health measures to protect their citizens,» White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told a press conference, adding that it is only about «public health,» as reported by Bloomberg.
These statements come after the Chinese government has branded as «unacceptable» the measures adopted by some countries to control the arrival of travelers arriving from the Asian giant, alleging that there are no scientific arguments to justify the restrictions approved by governments such as the United States.
«We are firmly opposed to manipulating pandemic prevention and control measures to achieve political objectives,» said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning in a media appearance reported by the official press.
Beijing thus assured that it reserves the right to retaliate, by virtue of the «principle of reciprocity» governing international relations. The spokeswoman, however, did not go into further details on these possible retaliations.
RESPONSE FROM THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION For its part, the European Commission has determined on Tuesday that the «overwhelming majority» of the 27 Member States of the European Union agree to carry out COVID-19 tests on travelers from China, so they have agreed on a «coordinated approach» to the recent increase of positives in the country.
«The overwhelming majority of countries are in favor of pre-departure testing,» a spokesman said Tuesday after a meeting of the Health Security Committee, the DPA news agency reported.
European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides said on her official Twitter profile that the general consensus is on measures such as tests for travelers from China, as well as intensified monitoring of sewage or increased surveillance of cases.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
