UK to consider COVID curbs for arrivals from China

The United Kingdom, which has decided to accelerate the pace of uplifting curbs following the scathing Omicron wave it experienced in December, has announced that vaccinated international travellers would not be required to undergo COVID-19 tests at arrival from February 11 onwards. (Representative image: Reuters)

The UK will consider on Thursday imposing COVID-19 restrictions for arrivals from China, including requiring tests for the coronavirus, the Telegraph reported.

Officials from the Department for Transport, Home Office and the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) are expected to decide today whether the UK should follow the United States and Italy in imposing COVID restrictions for travellers from China, the report said.

The Prime Minister's spokesperson had said earlier on Wednesday that the restrictions were "not something we are looking at", the report added.

DHSC did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the report.

The United Statesimposed mandatory COVID-19 tests on travelers from China on Wednesday while Italy has ordered COVID-19 antigen swabs and virus sequencing for all travellers coming from China.