China slashes quarantine time for travellers

CHINA has slashed the quarantine time for inbound travellers by half in a major easing of one of the world’s strictest Covid-19 curbs, which have deterred travel in and out of the country since 2020.

Quarantine at centralised facilities had been cut to seven days from 14, and subsequent at-home health monitoring reduced to three days from seven, the National Health Commission said earlier this week.

The latest guidelines from the health authority also eased quarantine requirements for close contacts of people who have tested positive for the coronavirus.

China has cautiously eased its Covid curbs on cross-border travellers in recent months, with health officials saying the shorter incubation period of the Omicron variant allows for an adjustment of quarantine periods.

Chinese capital Beijing has reduced the quarantine period at centralised facilities to 10 days from 14.

China last month also removed some Covid-19 test requirements for people flying in from countries such as the US.

Beijing and Shanghai reported this week that there were no new local Covid infections, the first time both cities were in the clear simultaneously since late February, after months of fighting their worst outbreaks. |