Passenger planes are parked on the tarmac at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport on November 4, 2022, before China ends Covid-related travel restrictions.
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BEIJING – China announced late Monday that travelers will no longer need to be quarantined upon arrival on the mainland starting January 8.
The change coming after a sudden relaxation this month in domestic Covid control measures. These changes end much of the most restrictive measures China has imposed in nearly three years under its Covid-free policy.
Since March 2020, visitors to the mainland have been quarantined, usually at a designated hotel and for 14 days. That quarantine period then began to increase to 21 days or more for some travelers, before China began. cut the quarantine period this summer.
Current policy requires five days of quarantine at a centralized facility, followed by three days at home.
China’s National Health Commission also said that, as of January 8, authorities will stop tracking close contacts of Covid patients, suspend the designation of areas at risk of Covid-19 infection, and The cancellation of Covid-19 prevention measures has slowed down the import of goods.
The commission said travelers to China would only need to present negative virus test results within the past 48 hours and would no longer have to register for a clear health code. While on the flight, passengers must still wear masks, the notice said.
China’s economy has slowed this year amid strict Covid control measures that have locked down Shanghai for about two months, as well as other parts of the country. Beijing abruptly ended many restrictions earlier this month. While, Local covid cases increaseput pressure on an already strained public health system.
Need more flights
Domestic quarantine requirements and other Covid-related measures have made it difficult for foreign businesses in China to bring in factory employees, executives and technicians.
Michael Hart, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, said last week: “Just because the border is open does not mean that tourism will recover immediately.
He noted that the number of flights available in and out of China must recover. “I don’t think American airlines or international airlines will immediately return to normal because those planes have already flown other routes,” Hart said. “It might be different from Chinese airlines, as the plane just sits on the runway doing nothing.”
In 2019, China said there were 670 million international trips at home and abroad. By 2021, that number has dropped to 128 million, according to the National Immigration Bureau.
China said on Monday it would improve visa arrangements for foreigners entering the country to resume work, business, study, visiting relatives and other gatherings.
According to a translation by CNBC, the ability of Chinese citizens to travel abroad will be “resumed in an orderly manner”.
During the pandemic, Beijing prevent Chinese citizens from obtaining passports or leaving the country unless they have a clear purpose, typically business.
In the past, Chinese tourists and their spending abroad – especially on luxury goods – have been a significant source of income for businesses in many international tourist destinations.
