The United States requires travelers from China to show a negative Covid-19 test result before a flight

CNN
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The United States will require all travelers from China to show a negative Covid-19 test result before traveling to the country as the rapid easing of Covid-19 restrictions by Beijing leads to an increase in the number of cases.

Federal health officials said that passengers flying into the United States from China will need to be tested no more than two days before travel, and provide proof of a negative test to their airline before boarding.

The tests can either be a PCR test or an antigen self-test administered through the telehealth service.

This requirement will apply to both passengers who travel directly to the United States from ChinaAnd the Including Hong Kong and MacauAnd the And also for travelers traveling through popular third country gateways, including Seoul, Toronto, and Vancouver.

Travelers who tested positive more than 10 days before their flight can submit documents of their recovery in lieu of a negative test result.

The new rules go into effect at 12:01 a.m. ET on January 5th.

US officials have expressed deep concerns about China’s lack of transparency about the recent increase in the number of cases, particularly the absence of genome sequence information that could help detect new strains of the coronavirus.

“We know that these measures will not eliminate all risks or completely prevent infected people from entering the United States,” a federal health official said. However, “together they will help limit the number of infected people and provide us with an early warning of new variants.”

US health officials said the January 5 schedule was chosen to give airlines plenty of time to adjust operations to implement the new rules. Officials did not estimate how long they expected these rules to remain in place, saying they would “monitor the situation on the ground and adjust as needed.”

In addition, officials announced that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expanding its passenger-based genome surveillance program to airports in Seattle and Los Angeles, bringing the total number of participating airports to seven with coverage of about 500 weekly flights from at least 30 countries. This will include approximately 290 weekly flights from China and surrounding regions.

“We are expanding this in hopes of capturing any variant that may emerge,” as well as “to reduce transmission of a new variant by introducing a pre-departure testing program,” one official said.

The new requirement comes as Japan and India announced Covid-19 measures for travelers from China amid fears of a surge in cases.

Japan requires individuals traveling from China to be tested for Covid-19 upon arrival from December 30. Indian authorities said travelers from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand will have to show evidence of a negative Covid-19 test upon arrival in India and quarantine if they test positive.

China has begun to ease its strict Covid-19 measures after the country was dismantled Long-term non-covid policy earlier this month. China announced on Monday that it will end quarantine requirements for international arrivals from January 8, in a major step toward reopening its borders.

But the abrupt end to China’s strict health policy caught many in the country by surprise and put strain on the health system as it grapples with a surge in infections.

Officials noted, “The CDC continues to recommend masking during travel, self-monitoring for symptoms, and testing for three days after arrival for international travel.”

Officials said China has uploaded “about 100” new sequences to public databases in recent weeks, “including sub-Omicron variants such as BA.5,” but the small sample size leaves room for concern, the CDC said.

“What we’re concerned about is that a new species might actually emerge in China,” said one of the officials. “With so many people infected in China in such a short period of time, there is an opportunity and potential for a new variant to emerge.”

Asked if there was concern about the veracity of the data — and whether China was honest and transparent, an official said it was the volume of data that worried the administration at this point.

“We only have limited information in terms of what is being shared regarding the number of cases (which) increase hospitalizations, and especially deaths,” he said. “Also, there has been a decrease in testing across China. This also makes it difficult to know the real infection rate.”

China’s foreign ministry on Wednesday responded to reports that the United States was considering restrictions on travelers from China, urging the parties to work together to ensure the safe movement of people between countries and the stability of the global supply chain.

“We need all parties to work together scientifically against the epidemic to ensure safe movement of people between countries, maintain the stability of the supply chain of the global industrial chain, and promote the resumption of healthy growth in the global economy,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a press briefing.

This story has been updated with additional developments.