Beijing’s decision to relax its zero-COVID policy has seen COVID-19 cases in China skyrocket. As the country looks set to open up its borders, Europe is starting to raise its defenses. France’s government on Friday confirmed that visitors traveling from China will be required to present a negative COVID-19 test at the start of their flight. The Spanish government also announced that all air passengers coming from China will be required to have negative COVID-19 tests or proof of vaccination. Later on Friday evening, the UK government, too, confirmed that passengers arriving from mainland China will be asked to provide a negative COVID-19 test. It follows the decision by the Italian government to also implement stricter entry measures for air passengers coming from China. “At a national level, we will implement airport controls requiring all passengers coming from China to show a negative COVID-19 test or proof they are fully vaccinated,” confirmed Carolina Darias, Spain’s Health Minister. Darias also said that her government would be pushing for similar measures at a European level. That’s despite the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) on Thursday calling such moves “unjustified”. — Euronews