US to Require Travelers From China to Test Negative for COVID-19 Before Entry

A woman holds two boxes of at-home Covid-19 test kits after waiting in a long line that snakes multiple times around the Shaw Library in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2021WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The United States will require international travelers coming from China regardless of nationality to test negative for the novel coronavirus prior to entering the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Wednesday. “CDC is announcing today that it will implement a requirement for a negative COVID-19 test or documentation of recovery for air passengers boarding flights to the United States originating from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau,” the US health agency said in a news release. On 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, the release said.Additionally, any US-bound travelers specifically transiting through the Incheon International Airport, Toronto Pearson International Airport and Vancouver International Airport will also be required to provide a negative test if they spent any time in China in the 10 days before their departure date. The Wednesday announcement comes as COVID-19 cases have been on the rise in China after preventative measures had been eased in early December. A federal health official earlier informed reporters during a Wednesday briefing that authorities had received “very limited information and public databases about variants that are circulating in China presently.”The US has not implemented testing requirements from international travelers since June, when federal health officials rescinded the condition.WorldChina to Lift COVID-19 Testing Requirement for Travelers From January 8: Customs Service11:46 GMTEarlier this week, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced it would require negative COVID-19 tests from travelers coming from mainland China for similar concerns, after having only reopened its borders in October. Any individuals who test positive upon entry will also be required to quarantine for a period of seven days.

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