China Reopens Borders and removes Last Covid Zero Curbs

From January 8 China will no longer subject inbound travellers to quarantine, putting the country on track to emerge from three years of self-imposed global isolation under a Covid Zero policy that battered the economy and stoked historic public discontent.

People arriving in China will only be required to obtain negative Covid test results within 48 hours of departure, according to a statement from the National Health Commission. That compares with the current requirement of eight days isolation — five days at a designated quarantine hotel, or central facility, followed by three days at home.

The government said it will facilitate visa applications for foreigners who need to travel to China for everything from businesses and studies to family reunions, while outbound tourism, which dwindled to almost nothing during the pandemic, will resume in an orderly fashion. Current limits on the number of international flights between China and the rest of the world and passenger capacity will also be removed, according to the statement.

Source: Bloomberg News