Italy starts COVID tests for China arrivals

(ANSA) - ROME, DEC 29 - Italy on Thursday became the first European country to officially start testing for COVID-19 among people arriving from China after Beijing's announcement it was set to open its borders as new variants of the coronavirus surge in the Asian country.
    One in two passengers arriving at Milan's Malpensa Airport are said to be positive for the virus, while testing started early Thursday at Rome's Fiumicino Airport too.
    There is global concern over new variants possibly spreading from China and several nearby countries have also started testing for COVID-19.
    Italy's premier infectious disease hospital, the Spallanzani Institute in Rome, on Thursday warned about the risks pose by new variants, with attention directed at a subvariant called Gryphon.
    Health Minister Orazio Schillaci i set to report to the Senate on Thursday afternoon, after the deputy minister with the brief for air transport, Galeazzo Bignami, said that "surveillance measures have been activated at air hubs, but EU action is needed for a more rapid response".
    He added: "The Italian government would like quarantine for all (those who test positive), we are asking our European partners for this and we'll see if it's possible, because there are various sensibilities".
    He stressed "we don't want to repeat the mistakes of the past".
    (ANSA).