UK Reportedly Considering Whether to Follow US in Requiring PCRs for Arrivals From China
A line stretches down the block as people wait in line to be tested for COVID-19 in New York on Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021. Lines stretch around the block for testing sites, refrigerated morgue trucks are being ordered, infections are soaring so much that they resemble a straight line and not a curve, European countries are imposing new travel restrictions. A sense of dismay about the pandemic and the omicron variant has overtaken the mood as the holiday season approaches.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The UK authorities on Thursday will consider the necessity for London to follow the United States and other countries in imposing COVID-19 restrictions on travelers flying in from China, The Telegraph reported. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Wednesday that the US will require international travelers, coming from China and regardless of nationality, to test negative for the novel coronavirus prior to entering the country. From January 5, all air passengers two years and older originating from China, Hong Kong, or Macau, regardless of nationality and vaccination status, will be required to get a test no more than two days before their departure and show a negative test result to the airline upon departure. According to the report, the UK Department for Transport, Home Office, and Department for Health and Social Care are expected to consider similar measures. The report said that six direct flights to the United Kingdom are scheduled in the next seven days, and 26 direct flights in January. The Chinese General Administration of Customs announced on Wednesday that China will lift the COVID-19 testing requirement for people entering the country from January 8, 2023. In addition, starting from January 8, China will stop testing frozen and non-cold chain food for COVID-19. 
AmericasUS to Require Travelers From China to Test Negative for COVID-19 Before Entry – CDCYesterday, 20:49 GMTOn Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that the epidemic situation in the country is generally predictable and under control. Beijing was the first city to pass the peak of the pandemic, and production and life there are gradually returning to normal. Moreover, China’s treatment, pathogen detection, and vaccination capabilities continue to improve, he added. On Tuesday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that China would continue to optimize the issuance of visas to foreigners who are going to China for work, study, or reunification with their families. The ministry has given no information regarding measures for foreign tourists, only noting that the government would steadily restore foreign tourism for Chinese citizens. The Chinese government abruptly dropped three years of harsh COVID-19 controls earlier this month following mass protests, leading to a nationwide surge in infections. Last week, Bloomberg cited Chinese government estimates that nearly 37 million people in China might have contracted COVID-19 in a single day last week. Some 248 million, or nearly 18% of the population, likely became infected in the first 20 days of December, dwarfing the January daily record of 4 million.
