Many countries is it so hardening the measures for travelers from Chinaconcerned about the avalanche of virus cases that can generate new variants of covid. This Friday, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, South Korea and Israel controls were imposed on passengers from the Asian giant.
Those five countries joined the United States and several European and Asian nations, which have taken similar measures since China suddenly lifted all health restrictions earlier this month to control the pandemic.
The governments of France and the United Kingdom will require travelers from China to test with a negative result less than 48 hours before their arrival in the country.
“We are going to implement controls at our airports, requiring passengers from China to have a negative test or a full vaccination certificate,” announced the Spanish Health Minister, meanwhile. Carolina Darias.
South Korea made the same decision, effective until “February next year,” the South Korean prime minister said. Han Duck-soo.
Israel also ordered airlines to only accept foreigners who present “a negative test” on board flights from China.
The United States, Italy, Japan and Taiwan, among others, had already imposed controls at airports on travelers from the Asian giant.
The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) considered, however, that these tests are “unjustified” in the European Union (EU), given the level of immunity of the population of the block and the presence of the same variants. of covid than in China.
In a complete and surprising reversal of his policy of “COVID zero”, the Chinese regime removed almost all pandemic restrictions virtually overnight. This has caused the virus to spread uncontrollably among its population, with about 37 million people who would have been infected in a single day last week.
Starting January 8, China will also remove the quarantine requirement for incoming travelersa move that is seen as increasing the chances for people to travel abroad after almost three years of total lockdown.
Considering that China had a massive tourism market before the pandemic, other countries are turning cautious faced with the risks of a resurgence of infections in their own populations.
Below is a list of the new measures that countries are imposing.
USA
Beginning January 5, the US will require passengers arriving from China to present a negative test result for COVID-19regardless of their nationality or vaccination status.
Travelers who have also been in the country 10 days prior to their departure to the US will need to present a negative PCR or antigen test, as reported by federal health authorities on Wednesday. The requirement also applies to travelers coming from Hong Kong and Macau.
Passengers who have tested positive more than 10 days prior to travel may present documentation and evidence of COVID recovery in lieu of a negative result. Airlines will have to confirm a negative covid test result or recovery documentation before boarding any US-bound flight.
Italy
Italy introduced a mandatory rapid COVID-19 test for all passengers entering the country from China, according to a statement from the Ministry of Health. The new measure also applies to passengers in transit.
Italy, the first European country affected by COVID at the beginning of 2020, also urges other countries in the region to adopt a collective testing agreementsince they are part of the Schengen area with open borders.
The move came after authorities in Milan earlier stated that almost half of the passengers on two flights from China had tested positive for the virus. Most had no symptoms.
taiwan
People traveling from mainland China to Taiwan during the month of January will be subject to PCR tests upon arrival, according to the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control. Those who test positive must comply with a five-day home quarantine.
Japan
The Japanese government implemented COVID emergency measures from December 30 to tighten restrictions on travel from China. Authorities now require travelers from mainland China and those who have been there in the last seven days to undergo a COVID test upon arrivaland that they remain in quarantine for a week if they test positive.
Direct flights from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao will only be accepted at certain airports, and airlines have been asked not to increase the current number of flights.
Malaysia
Malaysia is working on improving its digital management system to keep track of people who test positive for COVID. Positive cases will digitally receive a home surveillance order and a release order.
India
India announced late on Thursday that from January 1 the PCR test for people from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand.
Spain
The spanish government has decided to strengthen controls in the airports and will require passengers coming from China a negative COVID-19 test either full vaccination certificate.
The Minister of Health, Caroline Dariasalso announced this Thursday that Spain is going to promote the need to review in the European Union the recommendation of request the digital COVID certificate or equivalent to travelers from China as a guarantee of security for all.
South Korea
South Korea announced on Thursday that it will require anti-covid tests to travelers from China and will restrict the issuance of short-stay visas after the neighboring country, where the coronavirus casesput an end to their strict policy of quarantine.
Every person coming from China must undergo a PCR test at least 48 hours before flying or to a antigen test in the 24 hours prior to the trip and you will not be able to board unless the result is negativeas explained in a statement by the Korea Agency for the Control and Prevention of Communicable Diseases (KDCA).
In addition, travelers coming from China will have to undergo another PCR within 24 hours of landing on South Korea and save one seven-day quarantine in case of testing positiveaccording to the battery of measures presented this Thursday and that will be activated from January 2 until February 28.
Israel
The Israeli Ministry of Health announced on Friday the imposition of COVID-19 test for foreign travelers from China.
“It has been decided to order foreign airlines to accept foreign citizens on a flight from China to Israel only if they test negative for COVID,” the new Health Minister Arié Dery said in a statement.
(With information from AFP and Bloomberg)
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