Ban on entry into China extended to foreigners from ten countries...

France, where the number of infected and dead is growing rapidly, is the last country to make the list, announced the Chinese embassy in Paris, adding that the ban will be reevaluated “in the light of the evolution of the epidemic”.

Russia, Italy and Ethiopia are also affected by that measure and this week, Chinese embassies in the United Kingdom, Belgium, India, the Philippines, among other countries, announced that Beijing has decided to “temporarily suspend” the entry into the territory of non-Chinese citizens from these countries.

The measure includes people with valid residence permits for work, personal affairs and family reunification.

To date, the Chinese embassy in Portugal has not communicated a similar decision.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China defended “reasonable and fair” decisions, which “are inspired by the practices in force in many countries”.

The first cases of the new coronavirus were first detected in the city of Wuhan, in central China, last December, but, with the exception of sporadic and localized outbreaks, life has returned to normal in the Asian country.

In view of the spread of the disease around the world, China practically closed its borders on March 26, allowing foreigners to enter the country only in cases considered essential.

In September, China again allowed foreigners to enter with a valid residence permit, without the need to apply for a new visa, and on condition that they complete two weeks of quarantine at a center designated by the authorities.

The covid-19 pandemic has already claimed more than 1.2 million deaths in more than 48.1 million infection cases worldwide, according to a report by the French agency AFP.

In Portugal, 2,740 people died from 161,350 confirmed cases of infection, according to the most recent bulletin from the Directorate-General for Health.