aAs COVID-19 infections continue to rise in China, more than a dozen countries have announced new entry restrictions for travelers arriving from China amid growing concerns over the reliability of the country’s reporting and case sequencing. . In the middle.
Some countries, including the US and UK, have reintroduced mandatory pre-flight COVID-19 testing for travelers from China. Other countries, such as Japan and Italy, require tests upon arrival and quarantine for those who test positive. One country, Morocco, has even decided to completely ban all travelers coming from China from entering the country with measures that go into effect on Tuesday.
New regulations are not working well in Beijing rare public protestChinese state media called the new testing requirements “discriminatoryand a politically motivated effort to undermine the Chinese government. Meanwhile, some public health experts question the effectiveness of these measures. Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, said: “It’s already been shown that trying to ban the virus by tailoring what we do on our trips doesn’t work very well. told the BBC.
Here are the countries that have announced their own restrictions on inbound travelers so far, as China prepares to lift its own border restrictions on January 8.
Italy
Italy was the first country to announce new entry requirements for travelers arriving from China, along with the Minister of Health Announcement On December 28th, all airline passengers will undergo mandatory screening upon arrival.Italy is first and only So far, no European country requires such tests. In one of his first flights put to the test, 1/3 or more Percentage of all passengers who tested positive for COVID-19. On another flight, half of the passengers tested positive.
usa
On December 28, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that the United States will require travelers arriving from China, Hong Kong and Macau to present a negative COVID-19 test result taken at least two days before departure. . The new restrictions, which take effect January 3, come amid growing concerns over Chinese regulations. lack of transparency Not only the failure to properly track and sequence the subspecies domestically, but also its occurrence.
“Variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus continue to emerge in countries around the world,” the CDC said in it. Announcement“However, the decline in testing and case reporting in the country [People’s Republic of China] Minimizing the sharing of viral genome sequence data may delay the identification of new variants of concern if they arise. ”
France
From January 5th, the French government announced Travelers from China must present a negative COVID-19 test result at least 48 hours before departure. Passengers must also promise to wear masks during the flight and be randomly tested upon arrival.
England
From 5 January, travelers from China to the UK will be required to present a negative COVID-19 test result taken at least two days before departure. In addition, passenger samples are also subject to testing upon arrival.
“Due to the lack of comprehensive health information shared by China, the decision was made to introduce these measures specifically for arrivals from China,” the country’s health department said. statement“If there is better information sharing and more transparency, the temporary measures will be reviewed.”
Spain
Starting January 3, the Spanish government will require travelers arriving from China to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test or vaccination.Madrid is the latter Said Accept vaccines approved by the World Health Organization, including Sinovac and Sinopharm made in China.
About a third of China’s population (more than 250 million) not received a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Over 80 he reaches 60%.
Australia
From 5 January, anyone traveling to Australia from China, Hong Kong or Macau will be required to present a negative COVID-19 test result taken within 48 hours prior to travel. “This is a temporary measure that reflects the current lack of comprehensive information about the situation in China.” Said Australian Health Minister Mark Butler.
Canada
Beginning January 5, all air travelers over the age of two arriving from China, Hong Kong and Macau will be required to submit a negative COVID-19 test result or show evidence of recent COVID-19 infection at least two days prior to departure. Proof must be submitted. The measures will be re-evaluated after 30 days. Public Health Agency of CanadaIn-flight masking is highly recommended but not required.
Japan
Japan was one of the first countries to impose. New entry requirements, from December 30, all travelers from China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau) will be subject to inspection upon arrival. Those who test positive must be quarantined for 7 days.
Korea
From 5 January, travelers from China will be required to undergo COVID-19 testing before and after arriving in the country, government announced South Korea also said it would limit the issuance of short-term visas to Chinese nationals until the end of the month and temporarily halt the increase in flights between neighboring countries.
India
India as of January 1 announced Travelers arriving in China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand must prove a negative COVID-19 test result at least 72 hours before departure.Indian government has so far announced It also said it will randomly start testing 2% of international arrivals for COVID-19.
Malaysia
On December 30, the Malaysian government announced announced Begin fever screening of all inbound travelers from China and other countries, and conduct COVID-19 testing for anyone detected to have fever or other symptoms. The government also said it will test wastewater from aircraft arriving from China to detect new subspecies.
Israel
Israel announced On December 30, it was announced that all non-Israeli travelers arriving from China will be subject to a pre-flight PCR test conducted within 72 hours before departure.
Qatar
Beginning January 3, all travelers from China will be required to submit a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours of departure, regardless of vaccination status.
Morocco
From January 3, all travelers from China, regardless of nationality, will be banned from entering Morocco.of AnnouncementThe measures, taken just days before the ban was issued, are the most draconian steps any country has taken to date in response to the surge in cases in China.
Other must-read articles from TIME