China Tosses Quarantine Rule for Inbound Visitors

China will stop sending incoming travelers to quarantine starting from January 8 in an important move toward reducing curbs on its borders, which have been closed since 2020. The country has moved its classification of COVID-19 to the less-severe Category B from the current highest-level Category A. 

After three years of harsh Zero-COVID measures, China’s economy has taken a battering, contributing to the recent mass protests that were a rare show of public dissent. In response, the country made a policy switch, doing away with almost all its domestic COVID curbs in a move that has left hospitals across the country struggling to manage with a national wave of infections.

As for inbound visitors, strict rules required them to quarantine for five days at a government facility and three more of self-isolation at home. Now, passengers must simply undergo PCR testing 48 hours before arrival in China. Authorities have also promised it will be easier for business travelers to come to China as visa facilitation will improve.

While China downgrades its management of the new Coronavirus, it has said that COVID prevention and control protocols at key institutions, such as elderly care institutions, will be shored up. The country will also seek to boost the vaccination rate among the elderly and drive second doses among people in danger of severe illness.

Passenger entry and exit at sea and land ports will gradually resume, while the outbound travel of Chinese nationals will be restored “in an orderly manner.”