The recommendation to require travelers from China to test negative came from the European Union’s Crisis Response Group (IPCR), in which representatives of the governments of the bloc’s 27 member states are represented. The European Commission had previously made a similar recommendation.

The IPCR also recommended that all passengers traveling to and from China wear masks, that EU governments ensure random testing for passengers arriving from China, and that they test sewage samples at international airports and on planes arriving from China.

According to the Swedish presidency, member states agreed that relevant recommendations should be issued to arriving and departing passengers, flight crews and airport staff.

China is set to relax its border rules on January 8 for visitors and its own citizens who wish to travel, and a number of countries have announced in advance that they will require travelers from China to test negative for the coronavirus.

The Swedish Presidency of the European Union stated that the IPCR, with the support of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European External Action Service (EEAS), and taking into account the assessment of the World Health Organization (WHO), will continue to monitor the epidemiological situation in the Union. Member states agreed to reassess the situation and actions taken by mid-January.