China will lift quarantine requirements for all travelers arriving from abroad starting Jan. 8, 2023, China's top health authority said on Monday.
The country will also lift all other restrictive Covid measures for travellers, including quarantine and contact tracing for positive patients.
China has downgraded Covid management to a less severe "Class B disease," the same category as less severe illnesses such as dengue fever. China also refers to Covid as an "infection" instead of "pneumonia." The National Health Co mission said in a statement that the change was "more in line with the current characteristics and danger level of this disease." Authorities said the new guidelines are part of a new way China intends to deal with Covid.
"The less-deadly Omicron variant has become the dominant strain of SARS-Cov-2, and only a very small number of cases developed to pneumonia," NHC said in a statement Monday.
The existing quarantine policy for international arrivals to China was first introduced in 2020 and has changed recently. The latest directive, which expires on Jan. 8, mandates a five-day hotel quarantine and a three-day home quarantine for people arriving from outside mainland China and Macau, reported CNN.
Travelers are still required to undergo a Covid test before arriving in China, but passengers are no longer required to submit results to the Chinese embassy or consulate to apply for a code. They can be tested and seen before boarding the plane.
The NHC has also pledged to resume overseas travel for Chinese citizens in an orderly manner, depending on the international Covid situation and the capacity of various domestic services. China closed its borders to almost all travelers in March 2020 before gradually easing restrictions as the pandemic began spreading worldwide.
After nearly three years of lockdowns, quarantines and mass testing, China abruptly abandoned its Covid-zero policy this month following nationwide protests over the heavy economic and social toll.
At the same time, China is grappling with an unprecedented wave of infections, emptying hospital and pharmacy shelves. There are no definitive data on the extent of the spread, but some cities and states are seeing tens of thousands of new cases a day.
The sudden policy change has sparked panic buying of fever and cold medicines, leading to widespread shortages at pharmacies and online shopping platforms. Long lines are common outside overcrowded fever clinics and clinics in the capital Beijing and elsewhere in the country.
Chinese leaders recently hinted at shifting focus to grow again next year in hopes of easing pandemic restrictions to boost the economy.
According to an NHC statement, China's current focus is to provide adequate medical resources. The NHC added that large and medium-sized cities need to quickly convert "Fangcang," makeshift centralized Covid quarantine facilities, into designated hospitals with adequate medical staff.
The NHC also did not completely rule out the possibility of future temporary and local curfew measures.
-CNN
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