Covid China: Travellers coming to Australia must test negative to coronavirus from January 5

Any traveller hoping to visit Australia from China will soon have to test negative to coronavirus as the nation grapples with a surge in cases.

Health Minister Mark Butler announced from January 5 any arrivals from China would need to take a pre-departure Covid test to prove they did not have the virus before landing in Australia.

Mr Butler said the change was made out of an ‘abundance of caution’ and because of the lack of data coming out of China.

‘The resumption of travel between China and Australia poses no immediate public health threat to Australians,’ he said.

Mr Butler said Australia was still ‘warmly’ welcoming any visitors from China.

China is experiencing an explosion in Covid-19 infections and deaths after Beijing reversed its policies and let the virus run rampant.

According to authorities in Italy, 50 per cent of passengers on China flights to the country have Covid-19.

Australia is not the first country to enforce testing requirements on travellers coming from China. 

Spain, South Korea and Israel on Friday became the latest countries to impose mandatory coronavirus tests on visitors.

They 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 variants from the Asian giant.

Chinese state media reacted furiously to the restrictions.

‘The real intention is to sabotage China’s three years of Covid-19 control efforts and attack the country’s system,’ the Global Times stated in a report.

It also published a cartoon attacking Japan for its policies targeting Chinese citizens.

The paper described the restrictions as ‘unfounded’ and ‘discriminatory.’