Pandemic
China announces end of quarantine requirement upon entry
A man is tested for COVID-19. photo
© Andrew Braun/AP/dpa
With almost all measures lifted, the virus is spreading rapidly in China. But the government is sticking to its turnaround in corona policy.
China has announced the end of the quarantine obligation for travelers to the People’s Republic. As the Beijing Health Commission announced on Monday, the danger level of the corona virus will be lowered from January 8. As a result, travelers no longer have to endure hotel quarantine after their arrival, the message revealed.
More recently, the travelers were isolated in a hotel room for at least five days and closely monitored. Sometimes a 21-day entry quarantine was even required. According to the commission, travelers only need to present a negative corona test before leaving for China. Further testing after arrival should be avoided. Gradually, the Chinese should also be allowed to make more international travel again. During the pandemic, the government has severely restricted travel abroad for its countrymen.
U-turn in Corona politics
China announced an abrupt end to its zero-Covid policy on Dec. 7 after nearly three years of lockdowns, mass testing and other stringent measures. The lifting of the entry quarantine is now an additional easing. The U-turn in corona policy was justified by the fact that infections with the new Omicron variants are no longer so difficult. The experts saw the reason above all in the fact that the strict measures could no longer be maintained due to the explosive spread. The restrictions have also increasingly weighed on the second-largest economy.
With almost all measures lifted, the virus is spreading rapidly in China. According to officially unconfirmed internal estimates, 248 million people, or 18% of the population, were infected with Corona in the first three weeks of December alone. Hospitals are overcrowded and many crematoria can no longer cremate bodies fast enough. According to expert projections, hundreds of thousands of deaths are expected.
