China’s official media retaliated, calling the rules ‘discriminatory,’ as other nations demand COVID testing from travellers coming from China due to an increase in illnesses. Beijing lifted most of the country’s limitations imposed by its zero-Covid policy on December 7, which has resulted in a sharp rise in infections. After being closed for more than three years, China recently announced the relaxation of restrictions on international travellers, allowing its nationals to travel.
This has caused widespread concern that travellers from China may bring infectious diseases with them. A proof of a negative test is now required by the US for visitors from China. Additionally, COVID tests for Chinese travellers have been implemented in South Korea, India, Italy, Japan, and Taiwan. The limits are ‘unfounded’ and ‘unfair,’ the state-run tabloid Global Times said in a piece published late on Thursday. ‘The underlying purpose is to ruin China’s three years of COVID-19 control efforts and damage the country’s system’.
Beginning January 8, China will no longer demand that visitors enter quarantine. A negative PCR test result must be obtained within 48 hours before departure, though. Recently, a trip from China to Italy saw over 50% of the passengers test positive for COVID-19. Italy has asked the other European Union nations to follow its example, but France, Germany, and Portugal have declared they do not see a fresh need for more travel restrictions. The return of Chinese visitors to Europe is being studied from an economic perspective in Austria.
Before the epidemic, Chinese tourists spent more than $250 billion annually around the globe. Due to a paucity of data from China, the United States has expressed worry about possible viral alterations. Since the epidemic started, China has reported a total of 5,247 deaths. Since December 1 there have probably been 100,000 fatalities in China. More than 11,000 fatalities have been reported in the 7.4 million-person city of Chinese-controlled Hong Kong. China likely loses 9,000 individuals to COVID every day.
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