UN: National travel restrictions must be based on science and should follow WHO guidelines

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Jan. 11 (Xinhua) — Member states should follow WHO guidelines and all decisions on passenger screening and other aspects must and can only be based on science, said UN Secretary-General’s spokesman Dugarik on Jan. 10 in response to a reporter’s question about travel restrictions.

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WHO Regional Director for Europe Krueger also said the same day that as the new crown outbreak enters its fourth year, countries should ensure respect for science, continuous monitoring and responsibility to ensure a future for all. Krueger said there is currently a surge of confirmed cases in China, but the locally prevalent variant of New Coronavirus has previously been seen in Europe as well as other regions, so it is not expected to have a significant impact on the European region for the time being.

Currently, some European countries have adopted preventive entry restrictions. In this regard, Kruger said that countries are justified in taking precautionary measures to protect people from the virus, but called on countries taking action to ensure that such measures are scientifically based, appropriate and non-discriminatory.

At a regular press conference of the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Jan. 10, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that after China issued a general plan for “category B” control of new coronavirus infections and temporary measures for the movement of Chinese and foreign personnel, many countries welcomed the announcement. However, a few countries have announced entry restrictions on travelers from China, to which China, with the utmost sincerity and in a pragmatic manner, has fully communicated with the countries concerned, introducing in detail the scientific and reasonable nature of China’s optimized adjustment of epidemic prevention measures and the current domestic epidemic situation in China.

Wang Wenbin said, but it is regrettable that a few countries still insist on taking discriminatory entry restrictions against China in disregard of scientific facts and the actual epidemic situation in their own countries. China is firmly opposed to this and has taken reciprocal measures. Wang Wenbin said, we once again call on the relevant countries from the facts, scientific and appropriate formulation of epidemic prevention measures, should not take the opportunity to engage in political manipulation, should not be discriminatory practices, and should not affect the normal people-to-people exchanges and cooperation between countries.