Spain imposes COVID tests for China arrivals

Passengers arriving at Spanish airports from China will be screened for COVID starting Saturday, authorities said.

The measure will remain in place until at least February 15, Spain's health ministry said in a statement, with travelers arriving from China required to undergo a temperature check and a COVID-19 test.

"Given the health situation in that country, we know the importance of acting with coordination, but also the importance of acting quickly," Spanish health minister Carolina Darias told a press conference on Friday.

The first flight from China that will be affected by the new rules is scheduled to arrive at Madrid airport on Saturday at 6pm (5pm GMT), the ministry's statement said.

A growing number of countries, including the United States, have imposed restrictions on all visitors from China's mainland after China decided to end mandatory quarantine on arrival, prompting many jubilant Chinese to make plans to travel abroad.

But the European Union's health agency said on Thursday that such restrictions weren't warranted in the bloc.