China has lifted some of the requirements for COVID-19 testing for people flying from countries such as the United States and shortened pre-departure trips for other incoming passengers, as it tunes ways to deal with Omicron variants.From Friday, Travellers from the United States will no longer need RT-PCR tests seven days before the flight, according to notices from China’s embassy and consulate in the United States.
The requirements for antibody testing have also been scrapped. Those travelers will still need to undergo two RT-PCR tests within 48 or 24 hours of their flight – depending on which airport they fly from – and another pre-flight antigen test, notices said.But travelers recovering from previous infections will still need to spend six weeks on their own before starting other procedures, the notices said.
China’s entry and exit decreased as the country adheres to “COVID zero” policies that include restrictions on the issuance and renewal of passports, mandatory solitary confinement for many travellers upon arrival and cancellation of flight. But Omicron’s short incubation period allowed for a slight reduction in edge for international travelers. The city of Beijing has reduced its detention period to central locations when travelers arrive to 10 days from 14 days.
The removal of the RT-PCR test seven days before the flight and the completion of the antibody test will apply to travelers to China from Canada from Sunday, China’s embassy in Canada said on Thursday. Ambassadors to the United Arab Emirates, Serbia and Bangladesh on Wednesday lifted other inspection requirements and reduced the solitary confinement of Chinese companies flying to China to 10 days from 21 days.
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