A female passenger checks her phone as an Air China passenger plane passes through Beijing Capital International Airport on October 29. China will drop the COVID-19 quarantine requirement for passengers arriving from abroad from January 8.
By Han Guan/AP
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By Han Guan/AP
A female passenger checks her phone as an Air China passenger plane passes through Beijing Capital International Airport on October 29. China will drop the COVID-19 quarantine requirement for passengers arriving from abroad from January 8.
By Han Guan/AP
On Monday, the National Health Commission announced that China will remove the COVID-19 quarantine requirement for passengers arriving from abroad from January 8, in the latest easing of the country’s strict anti-virus measures.
Currently, arriving passengers must quarantine for five days in a hotel, followed by three days at home. That’s less than three weeks in the past.
Removing quarantine requirements is a big step toward fully reopening travel with the rest of the world, which the government has said hard in an effort to keep the virus at bay.
The restrictions have prevented most Chinese from traveling abroad, restricted face-to-face diplomatic exchanges and sharply reduced the number of foreigners in China for work and study.
The Chinese Health Commission said steps will be taken to facilitate the entry of some foreigners into the country, although they do not include tourists. He pointed out that Chinese people will gradually be allowed to go abroad for tourism again, which is an important source of revenue for hotels and related businesses in many countries.
An online posting from the health commission said people arriving in China would still need a negative virus test 48 hours before departure and passengers would be required to wear protective masks on board.
China suddenly It dropped many of its pandemic restrictions Earlier this month, it led to a widespread outbreak that overwhelmed hospital emergency rooms and funeral homes.
The move followed rare public protests over the restrictions, which have slowed the economy, put people out of work and prompted restaurants and shops to go out of business.
For more than two and a half years, Chinese authorities have enforced a strict no-COVID policy that has become a signature policy of leader Xi Jinping.
The arrival of a rapidly spreading omicron variant in late 2021 made the strategy increasingly unsustainable, requiring broader lockdowns that stunted growth and disrupted life.
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