France and Britain on Friday joined a growing list of nations imposing Covid tests on travelers from China, and the World Health Organization pressed Beijing to be more forthcoming on real-time data amid an explosion of cases there.

Spain, South Korea and Israel also said they would require proof of a negative test for travelers leaving China.

Despite its hospitals and morgues being overwhelmed -- and international concern over the low official figures on infections and deaths there -- China insisted Friday that it had been transparent in sharing its Covid-19 data.

Earlier this week, a senior US health official said Beijing had provided only limited data to global databases about variants circulating in China, and its testing and reporting on new cases had diminished.

The Geneva-based World Health Organization summoned Chinese officials and "asked for regular sharing of specific and real-time data on the epidemiological situation," the agency said in a statement.

"WHO stressed the importance of monitoring and the timely publication of data to help China and the global community... to inform effective responses," it said.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin refuted suggestions that the country had not been forthcoming on data: "Since the outbreak of the epidemic, China has been sharing relevant information and data with the international community, including WHO, in an open and transparent manner.

"We shared the sequence of the new coronavirus at the first instance, thus making important contributions to the development of relevant vaccines (and) drugs in other countries."

A national disease control body in China said there were about 5,500 new local cases and one death Friday but, with the end of mass testing and the narrowing of criteria for what counts as a Covid fatality, those numbers are no longer believed to reflect reality.

Britain, France, Spain, South Korea and Israel have joined Italy, Japan, India, Malaysia, Taiwan and the United States in requiring negative Covid tests for all travellers from mainland China, in a bid to avoid importing new virus variants.

In Britain's case, the requirement comes into effect from January 5.

Switzerland however said it would keep its borders open for arrivals from China.

- Different European approaches -

In Beijing, Wang argued that health experts in several countries had decided there was no need to impose entry restrictions on travelers from China.

The European Union's infectious disease agency (ECDC) said Thursday such restrictions were not warranted for the moment, due to the high levels of immunity in the EU and European Economic Area.

Germany seemed to take that on board Friday, saying it did not currently see the need to impose routine tests on arrivals from China.

But Health Minister Karl Lauterbach did argue for a coordinated EU-wide system to monitor variants across European airports.

"We need a European solution," he said.

A coordinated approach would make it easier to detect new variants of the coronavirus quickly and take appropriate measures, he added.

And while routine tests were "not yet necessary" for arrivals from China, that could change given that data from China could not be reliably obtained.

Justifying the restrictions Spain had decided to impose, Health Minister Carolina Darias said: "A major concern lies in the possibility of new variants appearing in China that have not been controlled.

"Given the health situation in that country, we know the importance of acting with coordination, but also the importance of acting quickly," she added.

- Rival estimates -

Jiao Yahui, from China's National Health Commission (NHC), insisted on Thursday Beijing had always published data "on Covid-19 deaths and severe cases in the spirit of openness and transparency".

The NHC said last week it would no longer release an official daily Covid death toll.

But health risk analysis firm Airfinity said it currently estimates 9,000 daily deaths and 1.8 million infections per day in China, and it expects 1.7 million fatalities across the country by the end of April 2023.

The Britain-based research firm said its model was based on data from China's regional provinces before changes to reporting infections were implemented, combined with case growth rates from other former zero-Covid countries when they lifted restrictions.

China said this month it would end mandatory quarantine for people arriving in the country and that it had abandoned strict measures to contain the virus.

The world's most populous country will downgrade its management of Covid-19 from January 8, treating it as a Class B infection rather than a more serious Class A.

Israel to require Covid tests for foreign arrivals from China: ministry
Jerusalem (AFP) Dec 30, 2022 - The Israeli health ministry said Friday it will impose Covid tests on foreigners intending to travel from China, where coronavirus cases have surged.

"It was decided to order that foreign airlines only accept foreign citizens on a flight from China to Israel if they have tested (negative) for Covid," Health Minister Aryeh Deri said in a statement.

The minister, part of a new government sworn in on Thursday, urged Israelis to avoid travel to China. He said a screening centre would be opened to test arrivals who volunteered.

Coronavirus infections have surged in China, overwhelming hospitals as it unwinds hardline controls that torpedoed the economy and sparked nationwide protests.

A growing number of countries, including the United States, have imposed restrictions on all visitors from mainland China after Beijing decided to end mandatory quarantine on arrival, prompting many jubilant Chinese to make plans to travel abroad.

But the European Union's health agency said Thursday such restrictions weren't warranted in the bloc.

Chinese citizens have been largely confined to their country since Beijing pulled up the drawbridge in March 2020.

Spain imposes Covid tests for China arrivals
Madrid, Spain (AFP) Dec 31, 2022 - Passengers arriving at Spanish airports from China will be screened for Covid starting Saturday, authorities said, following an explosion of cases in China.

The measure will remain in place until at least February 15, Spain's health ministry said in a statement, with travellers arriving from China required to undergo a temperature check and a Covid-19 test.

"A major concern lies in the possibility of new variants appearing in China that have not been controlled," Spanish health minister Carolina Darias told a press conference on Friday.

"Given the health situation in that country, we know the importance of acting with coordination, but also the importance of acting quickly."

The first flight from China that will be affected by the new rules is scheduled to arrive at Madrid airport on Saturday at 6 pm (1700 GMT), the ministry's statement said.

Coronavirus infections have surged in China, overwhelming hospitals as the country unwinds hardline controls that torpedoed the economy and sparked nationwide protests.

A growing number of countries, including the United States, have imposed restrictions on all visitors from mainland China after Beijing decided to end mandatory quarantine on arrival, prompting many jubilant Chinese to make plans to travel abroad.

But the European Union's health agency said Thursday that such restrictions weren't warranted in the bloc.

Chinese citizens have been largely confined to their country since Beijing pulled up the drawbridge in March 2020

But Darias said China was set to lift its travel restrictions on January 8, which would likely cause a "significant" rise in people travelling abroad.

In 2019, around 700,000 tourists with Chinese residency visited Spain, according to Spain's tourism ministry.

That figure dropped sharply to about 130,000 in 2020 and 30,000 in 2021, according to the Spanish statistics institute.

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China insists official Covid data is transparent: state media
Beijing (AFP) Dec 30, 2022
China has insisted the data it publishes on Covid-19 deaths has always been transparent, state media reported, despite the official figures being tiny compared with other countries and its hospitals overwhelmed with infections. Beijing's release of all virus information was done "in the spirit of openness", a top health chief said at a press briefing held by China's State Council, Xinhua reported late Thursday. A national disease control body said there were about 5,500 new local cases and one d ... read more