Travelers from China must show negative Covid test to enter Netherlands from today

Travelers from China will have to show a negative Covid-19 test if they want to enter the Netherlands from today. The Dutch government also urges people to wear face masks on flights to and from China.

Minister Ernst Kuipers of Public Health announced these measures last week due to the coronavirus situation in China. After nearly three years of super strict policy against Covid-19, the country scrapped many of its measures against the virus at once, resulting in infections skyrocketing.

The measures are in line with other EU member states. The European Union Ministers agreed to follow a coordinated approach. “I think it is important that we take travel measures to combat Covid-19 at a European level,” Kuipers said. It prevents travelers from circumventing measures by traveling through a different member state. “The Outbreak Management Team and the Social Impact Team have also advised me to follow this European line.”

In addition to a negative Covid-19 test and urgent advice to wear face masks on flights, the Netherlands will also test the sewage around Schiphol Airport for traces of the coronavirus. Travelers will also be offered a free Covid-19 test at the airport.

The Minister stressed that the Omicron variant of the coronavirus is currently dominant in China, the same as in the Netherlands. As the Netherlands has built up immunity against the coronavirus, partly through vaccinations and partly through previous infections, the consequences of infections through travelers from China are less serious. He still considers it important to monitor infections and keep an eye out for new variants of the virus.