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Treasurer Jim Chalmers says he is not concerned that China is threatening to retaliate with new COVID testing requirements coming into effect.
Travelers from China, Hong Kong and Macau will be required to return a negative COVID test within 48 hours of departure from Thursday, despite Australia’s chief medical officer advising against the new measure.
Australia joins the US, Great Britain, France, Italy, Spain, Canada, India and Japan in introducing mandatory testing.
China criticized the measures and threatened to retaliate with reciprocal measures.
Australia has introduced mandatory Covid tests for travelers arriving from China, Hong Kong and Macau (file image)
Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said the entry restrictions targeting China lacked scientific basis.
“We strongly oppose attempts to manipulate COVID measures for political purposes and will take countermeasures based on the principle of reciprocity,” he said.
“New strains can emerge anywhere, so there is no need for special entry restrictions to China.
“China always believes that the epidemic prevention measures of various countries should be scientific and appropriate, and should not take the opportunity to engage in political manipulation, discriminatory practices, and normal exchanges, exchanges and cooperation of personnel should not be affected. “.
But the details of the measures remain unclear as China already requires a negative test within 48 hours of departure and travelers can only board one flight with a negative result.
China is fighting a nationwide outbreak of the coronavirus, with hundreds of millions of people possibly contracting the virus.
It came after the country abruptly eased restrictions that had been in place for much of the pandemic.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers says mandatory testing was implemented in Australia as a precaution despite conflicting advice from chief medical officer Paul Kelly.
China criticized the measures and Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning (pictured) said the restrictions lacked scientific basis. He added that China would take “countermeasures based on the principle of reciprocity.”
China is battling a nationwide outbreak of Covid-19 after the nation abruptly eased restrictions in place during the pandemic (file image)
‘Every decision we make is influenced by the [CMO’s] advice, but we decided to err on the side of caution,” he said.
Dr. Chalmers says he’s not particularly concerned about China’s threat to go through with the move.
“Countries will make their own decisions about travel arrangements and how they will handle COVID more broadly,” he told ABC Radio.
Dr Chalmers added that the requirement for a doctor to supervise a rapid antigen test was not a burden for travelers, despite China’s hospital system facing enormous pressure.
The treasurer also maintained that the measures were not discriminatory despite the fact that no new variants of COVID-19 had been discovered in China, saying the decision was a warning as Beijing did not provide data.
“This is in a part of the world where we have concerns about transparency … and where there is an extraordinarily large wave of COVID,” he said.
“We need to make sure that we have the best possible surveillance of the strains as they emerge, but also of the waves as they emerge and become more difficult to manage.
“That’s really one of the key considerations here when we put these responsible restrictions in place.”
Treasurer Jim Chalmers (pictured) said the government’s decision to enforce mandatory covid tests was a precaution despite conflicting advice from chief medical officer Paul Kelly.
Australian Medical Association President Steve Robson says a genuine strategy rather than a “series of policy responses” is needed to keep Australians safe from Covid (file image)
Opposition health spokeswoman Anne Ruston said the government needed to explain why it did not follow expert advice after chief medical officer Paul Kelly said there were no public health reasons for the move.
“This government made a commitment to the Australian public to learn to live with COVID,” he told Sky News.
‘A decision that has been based without any medical advice or medical necessity shows that we are not really pursuing that.
“It’s a breach of the Australian public’s faith in that commitment to say we were going to get on with our lives.”
Australian Medical Association President Steve Robson says a genuine strategy rather than a “series of policy responses” is needed to keep Australians safe.
“We want to see a comprehensive strategy that is grounded in public health practice, to simply say, ‘what needs to be done to protect Australians at this vulnerable time?'” he told the AAP.