Government to assess Covid risk of travellers from China as Australia introduces mandatory testing

The Government is considering what response it might make to China's latest Covid-19 spread after Australia decided to mandate tests for those hoping to travel from China. Photo / Dean Purcell

The Government will complete a Covid-19 public health risk assessment of travellers from China after Australia decided to introduce mandatory testing of people coming from there amid a “rapidly developing situation”.

On Sunday, Australia’s health minister Mark Butler said the government had decided to follow the position of countries across Asia, North America and Europe to introduce measures amid the “absence of comprehensive information about the situation in China”.

In New Zealand, Duty Minister Stuart Nash said he had been informed of the Australian government’s decision. A risk assessment was underway Sunday evening, he said, and would be completed “in the next 24 hours”.

“Our response will remain proportionate to the potential risks posed by travellers and in the context of the international situation,” Nash said.

“The Australian government shares the concerns expressed by a number of governments and particularly the World Health Organisation,” he said.

“Out of an abundance of caution, travellers from China will need to provide a negative test before their flight.

“The World Health Organisation has described such measures as understandable.”

Butler said it was the “broad consensus” among Australia’s chief health officers that there is no “immediate public health threat”.

“I want it stressed Australia is well positioned against the fight with Covid,” he said.

He said advice from the country’s chief health officer, professor Brendan Murphy, was that the dominant strain in China right now was omicron subvariant BF. 7 - which has been present in Australia for several months.

“These arrangements are not put in place lightly,” he said.

Butler said this was a “temporary measure” reflecting the lack of comprehensive information about the epidemiological situation in China and the risk of new variants emerging.

New Zealand has not yet imposed any restrictions on travellers from China despite the moves by Australia and other major countries.

A Ministry of Health spokesperson said on Thursday that officials would be “monitoring the situation in China alongside global trends”.

“At this stage, it has been assessed that international arrivals, including from China, do not significantly change the risk of Covid-19 in New Zealand and the current public health measures remain appropriate for managing the pandemic,” they said.

“We continue to encourage recent arrivals to get tested if they experience Covid-19 symptoms.”

Australia’s decision to impose mandatory pre-departure testing will begin from 12.01am on January 5, requiring a negative test within 48 hours.

Other measures will be introduced at home, including increased wastewater testing, volunteer sampling, and increased surveillance of people who have tested positive within the last 14 days.

The announcement comes after China said it will fully reopen its borders on January 8 amid a “very significant” Covid wave.

In recent days, more than a dozen countries have introduced similar measures, including the US, England, France, India and Malaysia.

Butler said the Australian government had communicated the decision with Chinese counterparts on Sunday, but he was unaware of a response.

He said the Australian government “warmly welcomed” the decision by the Chinese government to resume international travel.

Butler said resumption of travel was going to lead to important economic activity in tourism and education sectors, as well as allowing people to visit loved ones between the two countries.

“We know there are many, many hundreds of thousands of Chinese Australians who have been unable to see family and friends for months - and, in some cases, years - and their ability to do that over the coming period will be a matter of considerable joy for them, particularly as we head into the Lunar New Year period,” he said.

Universities Australia chief executive Catriona Jackson said the move was a “sensible measure”.

“We should continue to be guided by expert health advice, as we always have, in responding to emerging situations and we support the government’s focus on keeping people safe,” Jackson said.

“Importantly, this decision does not close the door to Chinese students returning to Australia to start or continue their university studies.”