
Covid-19: As Chinese Tourists Plan To Resume, Countries More Serious With Rules
After almost three years of restrictions, China will let people travel more easily from January 8. At the same time, the country is facing a surge in Covid cases.
Italy has become the latest country to impose mandatory Covid tests on Chinese tourists after China announced it would reopen its borders next week.
Tighter measures have also been brought in by Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, and India – while the United States said it is considering imposing more rules.
That has led to wariness among some countries – but Beijing said coronavirus rules should be brought in on a “scientific” basis and accused some countries and media of “hyping up” the situation.
On Monday and Tuesday, China announced it would ease its restrictions on travel to and from the country.
From 8 January, quarantine for travelers entering China will end, and passport applications for Chinese citizens will resume, authorities said.
Travel sites reported a spike in traffic following the announcements – and some countries revised their travel rules.
Italy – once the global epicenter of the virus after it spread from China in late 2019 and 2020 – said it was bringing in mandatory Covid testing for all passengers coming from China.
Health Minister Orazio Schillaci said this was “essential to ensure the surveillance and identification” of any new variants of the virus and to “protect the Italian population”.
Before his announcement, flights arriving in Milan were already testing passengers flying from China.
On one flight, which landed at the city’s Malpensa Airport on 26 December 26, 52% of passengers were found to be positive for Covid, la Repubblica reports.
Other countries had already imposed some restrictions on travelers coming from China:
In Japan, from Friday all travelers from China and those who visited it within seven days will be tested for Covid upon arrival, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said. Those who test positive will be required to quarantine for seven days if they have symptoms, or five days if asymptomatic. The number of flights to and from China will also be restricted.