More countries are imposing or considering curbs on travellers from China as Covid-19 cases in the country surge following its relaxation of “zero-Covid” rules.
They cite a lack of information from China on variants and concerns about a wave of infections. Beijing has rejected criticism of its Covid data and said it expects future mutations to be potentially more transmissible but less severe.
The World Health Organization on Friday again urged Chinese health officials to regularly share specific and real-time information on the Covid situation in the country.
The agency has asked Chinese officials to share more genetic sequencing data, as well as data on hospitalisations, deaths and vaccinations.
Official figures from China have become an unreliable guide as less testing is being done across the country following the recent dismantling of three years of zero-Covid controls.
In Thailand, which welcomed more than 11 million Chinese travellers in 2019, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said earlier this week that no special measures were planned. But it now emerges that his own ministry is proposing that arrivals from China produce proof of at least two vaccinations plus a negative antigen test. The proposals have not yet been formally approved.
Below is a list of regulations that other countries plan to adopt for travellers from China, updated to Dec 30.
PLACES IMPOSING CURBS
United States
The United States will impose mandatory Covid-19 tests on travellers from China beginning on Jan. 5. All air passengers aged two 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 U.S. citizens should also reconsider travel to China, Hong Kong and Macau.
Britain
The UK will require a pre-departure negative Covid-19 test from passengers from China as of Jan 5, the Department of Health said on Friday.
France
France will require travellers from China to provide a negative Covid test result less than 48 hours before departure, the health and transport ministries said on Friday. From Jan 1, France will also carry out random PCR Covid tests upon arrival on some travellers coming from China, a government official told reporters.
India
The country has mandated a Covid-19 negative test report for travellers arriving from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea 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 went 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 travellers 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.
Spain
Spain will require a negative Covid-19 test or a full course of vaccination against the disease upon arrival for travellers from China, the country’s Health Minister Carolina Darias said.
Malaysia
Malaysia will screen all inbound travellers for fever and test wastewater from aircraft arriving from China for Covid-19, Minister Zaliha Mustafa said in a statement.
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.
South Korea
South Korea will require travellers from China to provide negative Covid test results before departure, South Korea’s News1 news agency reported on Friday.
STILL MONITORING
Australia
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australia was monitoring 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 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.
