Coronavirus: China closes door to British, Belgian and Philippine visitors
- Suspension is ‘a temporary response necessitated by the current situation of Covid-19’, embassies say
- All three countries have struggled to bring the deadly disease under control
The announcement was made in near-identical statements published on Wednesday and Thursday on the websites of China’s embassies in the three countries.
Entry to China had been suspended for all British, Belgian and Philippine nationals regardless of whether their visas or residence permits were still valid, the notices said, adding that Chinese embassies and consulates would no longer issue health declaration forms to those affected.
“The suspension is a temporary response necessitated by the current situation of Covid-19,” the statements said.
“The above-mentioned measures will be assessed in accordance with the evolving situation and any adjustment will be announced accordingly.”
The restriction would not apply to members of the diplomatic service, or international transport workers, like airline crews, the embassies said.
China’s foreign ministry said on Thursday the ruling was based on the changing epidemic situation in the countries involved.
“This is reasonable and in line with international practices, and we believe everyone will understand,” ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said.
Britain has reported 1.1 million cases and close to 48,000 deaths from Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic, and on Thursday returned to lockdown in a bid to curb the spread of the disease.
Belgium, which has the world’s highest number of cases per capita, has been in lockdown since last week.
Besides the block on visitors from Britain, Belgium and the Philippines, Beijing has also tightened its restrictions for other countries.
Last week, its embassies in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the United States and several other countries issued new rules requiring visitors to produce both a nucleic acid test and a blood test no more than 48 hours before boarding their flights to China.
Shenzhen Airlines said on Monday the new requirements would apply even to passengers transferring in countries with double testing requirements.
