BRUSSELS: The mayor of Belgian tourist hub Bruges called Wednesday for Chinese visitors to face Covid tests or mandatory vaccine requirements after an explosion of cases in China, Belga news agency reported.

China on Monday said it would dismantle its tough border restrictions from January 8, completing Beijing's sudden pivot away from its stringent zero-Covid policy.

The move has sparked jitters across the world, with Italy becoming the first country in the European Union to make tests mandatory for visitors from China.

Bruges mayor Dirk De fauw told Belga that he was alarmed at the prospect of an influx of tourists from China to the city -- which used to welcome up to 150,000 visitors from the country each year before the pandemic.

Chinese hospitals ‘extremely busy’ as COVID spreads unchecked

"The infection rate is still very high. I think we have to work either with a vaccination certificate or with tests," he said.

He called for a solution to be found "at European level", insisting there was time to prepare before large numbers of Chinese tourists come back to Belgium.

"Usually, these are organised group trips and they will only resume in April or May. So we have time to work on possible restrictions," he said.