International Desk: People traveling to the United States from China will need to be tested for Covid-19, US officials said. The decision has been taken in the context of China announcing that it will withdraw the strict restrictions imposed to suppress the coronavirus.
The new policy, effective Jan. 5, will apply to all air travelers over the age of two coming from China, Hong Kong or Macau, U.S. officials said Wednesday.
A health official said, the test cannot be done more than two days before the departure.
He said that the travelers who tested positive more than 10 days before the flight will have to show the health certificate along with the negative test result.
Beijing announced on Monday that it is canceling the mandatory Covid quarantine for foreign travelers from January 8. As a result, there has been a rapid trend among the Chinese to go abroad.
Covid-19 is on the rise in the country after China eased strict anti-virus controls. The so-called ‘Zero Covid’ policy included lockdowns and mass testing. As a result, the spread of the corona virus has slowed down, but it has led to depression among people and reduced economic growth.
India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia and Taiwan have also imposed travel restrictions on travelers from China.
Source: Al Jazeera
