Dec 30 (Reuters) – Authorities around the world are imposing or considering restrictions on travelers from China as the case of COVID-19 rises there following its relaxation of “zero-COVID” rules.
They cite a lack of information from China on the variants and worry about a wave of infections. China dismissed criticism of its COVID data and said it expects future mutations to be potentially more transmissible but less severe.
Below is a list of regulations for travelers from China.
IMPOSING BORDERS
UNITED STATES
The United States will impose mandatory COVID-19 testing on travelers from China starting Jan. 5. All air passengers aged two and over will need a negative test result no more than two days before departure from China, Hong Kong or Macau. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also said US citizens should also reconsider travel to China, Hong Kong and Macau.
INDIA
The country has made a negative COVID-19 test report mandatory for travelers from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and Thailand, the health minister said. Passengers from these countries will be quarantined if they show symptoms or test positive.
JAPAN
Japan will require a negative COVID-19 test on arrival for travelers from mainland China. Those who test positive will need to quarantine for seven days. New border measures for China will take effect at midnight on December 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 from China. Milan’s main airport, Malpensa, had already started testing passengers arriving from Beijing and Shanghai. “The measure is essential to ensure the surveillance and detection of possible variants of the virus in order to protect the Italian population,” said Health Minister Orazio Schillaci.
SPAIN
Spain will require a negative COVID-19 test or a full course of vaccination against the disease on arrival for travelers from China, the country’s Health Minister Carolina Darias has said.
MALAYSIA
Malaysia will screen all incoming travelers for fever and test sewage from planes arriving from China for COVID-19, Minister Zaliha Mustafa said in a statement.
TAIWAN
Taiwan’s central epidemic command center said all passengers on direct flights from China, as well as by ship on two offshore islands, will be required to take PCR tests upon arrival, starting Jan. 1.
SOUTH KOREA
South Korea will require travelers from China to provide negative COVID test results before departure, South Korean news agency News1 reported on Friday, after Beijing’s decision to lift strict zero policies. COVID.
SURVEILLANCE SITUATION OF THE PREMISES
AUSTRALIA
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australia was monitoring the situation in relation to 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 “very cautious” and could impose measures such as testing requirements on visitors from China, but not an outright ban, said Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista.
BRITAIN
Britain is considering whether to impose restrictions on people arriving from China but has no plans to do so, officials said.
Defense Minister Ben Wallace said an update was possible in the coming days, but another minister said a review of the evidence so far did not suggest any worrying new variants that would lead the government to impose restrictions.
Compiled by Bernard Orr; Editing by Gerry Doyle, John Stonestreet and Barbara Lewis
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