US lifts COVID testing requirement for Chinese travelers
The requirement for travelers from China to the United States to present a negative COVID-19 test before boarding a flight expired on Friday after more than two months as cases in China declined.
The restrictions came into effect on December 28, when the country significantly eased pandemic restrictions amid a surge in infections in China, prompting U.S. health officials to urge Chinese officials to be honest with the world about the true number of cases. It entered into force on January 5, as it expressed concern that it was not. Infection and death. A requirement from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has expired for flights departing after 3:00 PM Eastern Time on Friday.
When the restrictions were imposed, U.S. officials also said the lack of transparency from the Chinese government about the scale of the surge and the subspecies circulating in China meant that U.S. citizens and communities needed to be protected. Stated.
A rule imposed in January requires travelers to the United States from China, Hong Kong and Macau to undergo a COVID-19 test at least two days before travel and provide a negative test before boarding any flights. This test is for anyone over the age of 2, including US citizens.
China eased from its ‘COVID-free’ strategy in early December after rare public outcry over policies that locked millions of people at home and sparked demands for President Xi Jinping’s resignation. After that, infections and deaths skyrocketed.
But as China eased its strict rules, infections and deaths soared, and in parts of the country, hospitals were overwhelmed with infected patients begging for help for weeks. Still, the Chinese government has been slow to release data on deaths and infections.
The US decision to lift restrictions comes at a time of strained US-China relations. US President Joe Biden last month ordered a Chinese reconnaissance balloon to be shot down as it crossed the US mainland. The Biden administration has also released a US intelligence investigation that raises concerns that Beijing is considering providing Russia with weapons for its ongoing war against Ukraine.
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-lifts-covid-test-requirement-for-chinese-travelers-/6999810.html US lifts COVID testing requirement for Chinese travelers