Health Minister Defends Enforcement Of Pre-Departure Testing For Travellers From China

The health minister has backed up his decision to enforce pre-departure PCR tests for travellers coming from China, despite the chief health officer advising against it.

According to health minister Mark Butler, the government have chosen to enforce the changes alongside several other countries who require pre-departure Covid tests for people travelling from China.

The call follows the announcement that China will be opening their borders to international travel after abandoning their zero Covid policy. 

The move comes as China deals with a massive increase in Covid infections.

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While travellers are pleased that China are welcoming international visitors, the Chinese government have been criticised for their failure to accurately monitor their Covid wave.

Mr Butler said that the new rules are a reasonable and necessary request for travellers coming from China.

"We want these measures to be temporary, they are modest measures, and as you see with flights arriving today, they are not a barrier to travel," Mr Butler said.

"Pretty much every country to which we would usually compare ourselves was putting in place these measures in light of the World Health Organisation advice that was being released ... that these were understandable measures," he said.

Mr Butler said the government was acting our of an abundance of caution to a fast growing COVID wave in the world's largest country, with "very little information on the ground".

"I do make the point that to travel to China you need to do a pre-departure test as well."

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