CNN
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The United States will require all travelers from China to show a negative Covid-19 test result before flying to the nation as Beijing’s speedy easing of Covid-19 restrictions leads to a surge in instances.
Passengers flying to the US from China will want to get a test not more than two days before flying, federal well being officers stated, and current proof of the negative test to their airline before boarding.
The exams will be both a PCR test or an antigen self-test administered by way of a telehealth service.
The requirement will apply each to passengers flying instantly to the United States from China, together with Hong Kong and Macau, as nicely to passengers flying by way of in style third-country gateways, together with Seoul, Toronto and Vancouver.
Passengers who test constructive greater than 10 days before their flight can present documentation of their restoration in lieu of a negative test result.
The new guidelines take impact at 12:01 a.m. ET on January 5.
American officers have expressed deep issues about China’s lack of transparency surrounding the latest surge in instances, significantly the absence of genome sequencing data that might assist detect new strains of the coronavirus.
“We know these measures will not eliminate all risk or completely prevent people who are infected from entering the United States,” a federal well being official stated. Still, “taken together they will help limit the number of infected people and provide us an early warning about new variants.”
US well being officers stated the January 5 timeline was chosen to present airways with ample time to modify operations to implement the brand new guidelines. The officers didn’t estimate how lengthy they anticipate these guidelines to stay in place, saying they’d “monitor the situation on the ground and adjust as needed.”
Additionally, officers introduced that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is increasing the Traveler-based Genomic Surveillance program to airports in Seattle and Los Angeles, bringing the whole variety of airports collaborating to seven with roughly 500 weekly flights from at the very least 30 nations coated. This will embody roughly 290 weekly flights from China and surrounding areas.
“We’re expanding that to hopefully to pick up any variant that may emerge” in addition to “to reduce transmission of a new variant by introducing this pre-departure testing program,” an official stated.
The new requirement comes as Japan and India have introduced Covid-19 measures for travelers from China amid issues over an uptick in instances.
Japan is requiring people touring from China be examined for Covid-19 upon arrival beginning December 30. Indian authorities have stated travelers from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand can have to show proof of a negative Covid-19 test on arrival to India and quarantine in the event that they test constructive.
China has began loosening its strict Covid-19 measures after dismantling the nation’s long-held zero-Covid policy earlier this month. On Monday, China introduced it’s going to finish quarantine necessities for worldwide arrivals from January 8, marking a serious step towards reopening its borders.
But the sudden finish to the China’s stringent well being coverage has caught many within the nation off guard and put strains on the well being system because it offers with a rise of infections.
Officials famous that the “CDC continues to recommend masking during travel, self-monitoring for symptoms and testing for three days after arrival for international travel.”
Officials stated China uploaded “only about 100” new sequences to public databases in current weeks, “including Omicron subvariants such as BA.5,” however the small pattern dimension leaves room for concern, the CDC stated.
“What we’re concerned about is a new variant may emerge actually in China,” one official stated. “With so many people in China being infected in a short period of time, there is a chance and probability that a new variant will emerge.”
Asked if there was concern concerning the veracity of the information – and whether or not China was being truthful and clear, an official stated it was primarily the quantity of information that involved the administration at this level.
“We have just limited information in terms of what’s being shared related to number of cases (that) are increasing hospitalizations, and especially deaths,” he stated. “Also, there’s been a decrease in testing across China. So that also makes it difficult to know what the true infection rate is.”
China’s international ministry responded Wednesday to stories that the US is contemplating imposing restrictions on travelers from China, urging events to work collectively to make sure the secure motion of individuals between nations and the soundness of the worldwide provide chain.
“We need all parties to work together scientifically against the epidemic to ensure the safe movement of people between countries, maintain the stability of the global industrial chain supply chain and promote the resumption of healthy growth in the world economy,” China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Wang Wenbin stated in a briefing.
This story has been up to date with further developments.