Opposition slams “panicked” new China Covid testing rules

Opposition leader Peter Dutton has called on the government to explain its new travel rules, as China lashes out at restrictions.

The government has been urged to explain why it has strayed from health advice to implement new Covid testing rules for Chinese arrivals.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton slammed the government for ignoring the recommendations of the Chief Medical Officer after it imposed mandatory Covid testing for travellers arriving in Australia from China.

In a joint statement with opposition health spokeswoman Anne Ruston released on Tuesday, Mr Dutton said the government had to justify its “panicked” response to surging Covid cases in China.

“The last thing our country needs is a panicked response from a government that doesn’t have a plan and, frankly, over the last week, has been making it up as they go along,” they said.

“Chinese Australians want to return home after their holidays and need more certainty in their travel plans.”

Passengers arrive off a Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong at Sydney Airport yesterday. Passengers were required to show evidence of a negative Covid test within 48 hours of their arrival. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

It comes after it emerged Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly had written to Health Minister Mark Butler on December 31, saying there was a “strong consensus” among the states’ chief health officers that restrictions enforced on Chinese arrivals would be “disproportionate”.

“I do not believe there is sufficient public health rationale to impose any restriction or additional requirements on travellers from China,” he wrote.

Mr Butler told 5AA Radio on Tuesday morning the new testing regime would help address global concerns over a lack of information about China’s Covid outbreak.

“So while the chief health officers say quite rightly that there’s no imminent public health threat to Australia from the resumption of travel between China and Australia, we are concerned to make sure that we can gather more information about what is happening on the ground with China,” he said.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said measures against travellers were not “proportionate” or “science-based”. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

China’s foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin hit out at international criticism of the nation’s management of its current Covid wave in a press conference on Sunday.

He urged countries to continue “global solidarity” against the virus and said the Covid response of nations who had imposed new rules on Chinese travellers needed to be “proportionate” and “science-based”.

“We hope that all parties will follow a science-based response approach  and work together to ensure safe cross-border travel, keep global, industrial and supply chains stable, and contribute to global solidarity against Covid and the world economic recovery,” he said.

Mr Wenbin said suggestions the Chinese government was not valuing people’s lives amid the outbreak were “ill-intentioned and aimed at discrediting China”.

“While we adapt the Covid response to the evolving circumstances, one thing has remained unchanged, which is our commitment to putting the people and their lives first.”