Dec 26, 2022 - World

China will end quarantines for travelers despite spike in COVID cases

Jessica Boehm

People wearing masks at an airport. — Passengers wait to board a plane at Beijing Daxing International Airport in Beijing, China, on Nov. 19. Photo: CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images

China's National Health Commission announced it will no longer require travelers to quarantine upon entering the country in early January, Bloomberg reports.

Why it matters: The Chinese government is facing a dilemma of how to return to normal, appease protesters, and jump-start the economy while grappling with what's reported as a surge in COVID cases and deaths.

State of play: Beginning Jan. 8, people arriving in China will not have to quarantine, though they will have to show a negative COVID test result within 48 hours of departing for the country, according to the NHS.

Currently, people have to quarantine for eight days, including five in a designated hotel or facility, per Bloomberg.

Reality check: Although China has stopped publishing daily COVID data, cases are reportedly escalating in some Chinese cities, including Beijing.

Last week, the head of the World Health Organization said the agency is "very concerned" about the number of severe COVID cases in China, per AP.
China's vaccination rates, especially among older adults, has lagged behind other countries, and its domestic vaccines are only about 50% effective, the WHO warned.

Threat level: China's COVID death toll could reach almost 1 million people as it reopens over the next several months, some modelling estimates predict.

Go deeper: Beijing faces dilemma as COVID deaths rise

Add Axios on Google

China will end quarantines for travelers despite spike in COVID cases

What to read next