(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Reuters
Authorities around the world are imposing or considering curbs on travelers from China as COVID-19 cases there surge following its relaxation of 'zero-COVID' rules. China has rejected criticism of its COVID data.
■ Places imposing curbs
United States - The United States will impose mandatory COVID-19 tests on travelers from China beginning on January 5. All air passengers aged two and older will require a negative result from a test no more than two days before departure from China, Hong Kong or Macau. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said U.S. citizens should reconsider travel to China, Hong Kong, and Macau.
Britain - The UK will require a pre-departure negative COVID-19 test for passengers from China as of January 5, the Department of Health said on Friday.
France - France will require travelers from China to provide a negative COVID test result less than 48 hours before departure.
Passengers of a flight from China wait in a line for checking their Covid-19 vaccination documents as a preventive measure against the coronavirus, after arriving at the Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle airport in Roissy, outside Paris, on January 1, 2023. (Photo by Julien De Rosa / AFP)
Starting January 1, France carried out random PCR COVID tests upon arrival on travelers coming from China, a government official told reporters.
France has urged all 26 other European Union member states to test Chinese travelers for COVID.
Australia - Travelers from China to Australia will need to submit a negative COVID-19 test from January 5, Australian Health Minister Mark Butler said on Sunday.
India - The country has mandated a COVID-19 negative test report for travelers arriving from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and Thailand. Passengers from those countries will be quarantined if they show symptoms or test positive.
Canada - Air travelers to Canada from China must test negative for COVID-19 no more than two days before departure, Ottawa said.
Japan - Japan will require a negative COVID-19 test upon arrival for travelers from mainland China. Those who test positive will be required to quarantine for seven days. New border measures for China went into 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, has already started testing passengers arriving from Beijing and Shanghai.
Spain - Spain will require a negative COVID-19 test or a full course of vaccination against the disease upon arrival for travelers from China.
Malaysia - Malaysia will screen all inbound travelers for fever and test wastewater from aircraft arriving from China for COVID-19.
Taiwan - Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Centre said all passengers on direct flights from China, as well as by boat at two offshore islands, will have to take PCR tests upon arrival, starting on January 1.
South Korea - South Korea will require travelers from China to provide negative COVID test results before departure, South Korea's News1 news agency reported.
Morocco - Morocco will impose a ban on people arriving from China, whatever their nationality, from January 3.
Qatar - qatar will require travelers arriving from china from january 3 to provide a negative covid-19 test result taken within 48 hours of departure, state news agency QNA said.
■ Places monitoring situation
European Union - European Union government health officials will hold talks on Wednesday on a coordinated response to the surge in COVID-19 infections in China, the Swedish EU presidency said on Monday after December talks concluded with no decisions on the matter.
Philippines - The Philippines sees a need to intensify monitoring and implementation of border control for incoming individuals, especially from China, Manila's health ministry said.
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