The latest twist in the pandemic in the US brings back the requirement of negative coronavirus tests for travelers who want to enter the country by plane from China. The Joe Biden administration announced it this Wednesday. The measure will come into force on January 5th.
The new restrictions, decreed by officials at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention Diseases (CDC is its acronym in English), It also applies to flights from Hong Kong and Macau, and responds to Washington’s growing concern both about the extraordinary increase in cases in China after the Communist Party abruptly ended its zero covid policy in early December in the face of protests for three years in prison, as well as “the lack of transparency” on the epidemic that has hit the Asian country in recent weeks.
The US authorities are suspicious of the real number of cases Beijing admits and also of the information provided on the variant that dominates in these infections. “This data,” the CDC statement said, “is critical to effectively tracking the increase in cases and reducing the possibility of new entries. [en el país norteamericano] of new and worrying variants”.
Beijing’s response came from the Foreign Ministry: “China has always believed that the measures taken to prevent the epidemic should be scientific and moderate, and should not affect the normal exchange between people,” said Wang Wenbin, spokesman of the ministry. “We need all parties to work together scientifically against the pandemic to ensure the safe movement of people between countries, maintain the stability of the global supply chain, and promote the resumption of healthy growth in the world economy.” It is ironic that, after three years of draconian restrictions on the movement of people, China is now the champion of free travel on an international level.
The measure affects passengers over the age of two, regardless of their nationality and vaccination status. The requirement to present a negative test (a PCR or an antigen test taken no more than two days before takeoff) will apply to those people from the Asian giant entering the United States through a third country or using your airports to connect with other destinations.
Hong Kong scientists they set the omicron subvariant known as the BF.7 as the dominant one in China. In the United States, BA.5 continues to be strongest, according to epidemiologists, although BF.7 has been present in the country since at least last September. At this point, at the end of December, it is responsible for only 4% of infections.
The US authorities have justified that the measures will not come into force until January 5 to give airlines time to adjust to the new rules.
The United States is the latest country to join a restrictive trend on traveler movements that seemed to have passed. Japan, Italy, Taiwan and India have also announced anti-covid measures for flights from China. Tokyo, for example, will require them to undergo a covid-19 test upon arrival in the country from December 30. Indian authorities have gone further by forcing travelers from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand to submit to a negative test. They will need to demonstrate that they are in good health upon arrival at the airport. Positives are required to maintain 10 days of quarantine.
