Restrictions on international flights amid COVID-19 outbreak ‘overreaction’
Chinese authorities on Wednesday urged certain countries and regions to remove administrative restrictions on international flights and travelers from China amid the novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) outbreak, as the World Health Organization (WHO) and other international institutions have recommended.
Some countries and regions have overreacted in their measures with regard to the epidemic, such as suspension of international flights to and from China or imposing immigration controls, even though the WHO opposes any restriction of international travel and trade, Liang Nan, director of the Department of International Affairs at the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), said at a press conference.
These administrative orders and restrictions have had a negative impact on the international aviation market, and caused significant inconvenience to travelers, including both Chinese nationals stranded overseas and foreign citizens unable to return home, Liang said.
The CAAC has been reporting epidemic prevention measures taken by China to the International Civil Aviation Organization
(ICAO) in a timely way, and enhanced communication with other countries and regions, Liang said.
He stressed that certain countries and regions should comply with recommendations of not restricting flights to and from China by international organizations and carefully consider adopting restrictive measures.
While it is understandable that some countries imposed certain restrictions in the early phase of the outbreak, the restrictions should be reduced since epidemic prevention in China has achieved progress and the world has acquired more knowledge about the virus, Qi Qi, a Guangdong-based industry expert, told the Global Times on Wednesday.