BEIJING: Countries are imposing or considering imposing curbs on travelers from China amid a COVID-19 surge there after authorities relaxed “zero-COVID” rules.
They cite a lack of information from China on variants and are concerned about a wave of infections. China has rejected criticism of its COVID data and said it expects future mutations to be potentially more transmissible but less severe.
China’s reopening has resulted in hospitals, morgues, and crematoriums overflowing with thousands of patients and people who have died from the virus.
Starting January 8, travelers in China will no longer have to undergo hotel quarantine and home isolation.
But China’s surging COVID cases and relaxed restrictions have spooked several countries into tightening travel restrictions for passengers arriving from China. Take a look at five countries that have responded to China’s spiking number of cases.
Below is a list of new regulations for travelers from China.
COUNTRIES IMPOSING CURBS
UNITED STATES
The U.S. will impose mandatory COVID-19 tests on travelers from China beginning on Jan. 5. All air passengers 2 and older will require a negative result from a test no more than two days before departure from China, Hong Kong or Macau. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also said Americans should also reconsider travel to China, Hong Kong and Macau.
INDIA
The country has mandated a COVID-19 negative test report for travellers arriving from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand, the health minister said. Passengers from those countries will be quarantined if they show symptoms or test positive.
JAPAN
Japan will require a negative COVID-19 test upon arrival for travellers from mainland China. Those who test positive will be required to quarantine for seven days. New border measures for China will go into effect at midnight on Dec. 30. The government will also limit requests from airlines to increase flights to China.
ITALY
Italy has ordered COVID-19 antigen swabs and virus sequencing for all travelers coming from China. Milan’s main airport, Malpensa, had already started testing passengers arriving from Beijing and Shanghai. “The measure is essential to ensure surveillance and detection of possible variants of the virus in order to protect the Italian population”, Health Minister Orazio Schillaci said.
TAIWAN
Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Centre said all passengers on direct flights from China, as well as by boat at two offshore islands, will have to take PCR tests upon arrival, starting on Jan. 1.
COUNTRIES MONITORING SITUATION
PAKISTAN
Pakistan’s Sindh provincial government has recommended to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) and National Institute of Health (NIH) to test travelers coming from China for Covid-19 at airports across the country.
In a letter dated Dec 29, the Sindh Health Department pointed out that Covid cases and mortalities were resurging in global proximities, while a new variant had also emerged.
In this view, it presented some recommendations and requested the NCOC to issue an advisory for people.
AUSTRALIA
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australia was continuing to monitor the situation in respect of China “as we continue to monitor the impact of COVID here in Australia as well as around the world.”
PHILIPPINES
The Southeast Asian country is being “very cautious” and could impose measures such as testing requirements on visitors from China, but not an outright ban, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said.
NOT CONSIDERING CURBS
BRITAIN
Britain has no plans to bring back COVID-19 testing for those coming into the country, a government spokesperson said on Thursday, when asked about a Daily Telegraph report saying it would consider curbs for arrivals from China.
