Earlier this week we shared that China is lifting its Covid-19 restrictions. China’s reopening has been met with mixed feelings due to the country’s current Covid climate and a number of countries, including the US, have released restrictions on travelers flying in from China.
The US travel restrictions for those coming from China
As of January 5, 2023, anyone two years of age and older arriving by air from China will need to present a negative Covid test within two days of travel, regardless of vaccination status. This applies to travelers from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau.
China’s current Covid climate
While many have celebrated Chinese residents finally getting the green light to travel abroad, the biggest global concern is China’s lack of Covid data. The country has shied away from reporting its data on the pandemic.
The Chinese National Health Commission recently announced it would stop publishing daily case counts, making it impossible for anyone to know how many people in the country have contracted the disease or died from it in recent weeks. People can still access some information about the outbreak via the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Reports have begun surfacing that show a grim situation in the country, putting the number of infections this month in the hundreds of millions. Meanwhile, nearly half of the passengers on two separate flights this week from China to Milan tested positive for Covid.
Other countries imposing restrictions on travelers from China
The US is not the country rolling out restrictions. Countries like India, Japan, Italy, and Taiwan will be requiring negative Covid tests and mandatory quarantine for anyone testing positive. Britain, however, has no plans to test passengers traveling from China.
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