World News | China to reopen borders, lift quarantine for international travelers from Jan. 8

BEIJING, Dec. 27 (PTI) — Days after its strict zero-Covid policy faced nationwide anti-government protests, China has announced in a major shift in its coronavirus response policy that it will cancel entry to international travelers when it reopens on Jan. 8. The US isolated its borders and emerged from international isolation after nearly three years.

The National Health Commission (NHC) announced on Monday that from next month, the management of COVID-19 will be downgraded from Level A to Level B, the same category as less serious diseases such as dengue fever.

Read also | Australia has issued a travel warning for Pakistan, urging vigilance and vigilance after an explosion in Balochistan province.

From January 8, 2023, the entry quarantine of international arrivals will be cancelled.

Travelers from abroad previously had to spend more than two weeks in mandatory quarantine in government accommodation, which was gradually reduced to five days with three days of observation.

Read also | China COVID-19 surge: Country to lift coronavirus quarantine rules for incoming travelers starting Jan. 8.

The announcements come as China grapples with a sudden surge in coronavirus infections caused by the Omicron variant, after Xi Jinping’s regime eased its strict zero-Covid policy earlier this month following a wave of anti-government protests.

Officials have argued that the Omicron variant is not as deadly as the Delta strain, which has killed and killed many people around the world.

According to the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post, since 2020, COVID-19 has been listed as a top “A” infectious disease, on par with bubonic plague and cholera.

Under Chinese law, authorities must impose the strictest restrictions, such as quarantine and isolation of infected people and their close contacts, as well as lockdowns to contain the diseases.

At the border, infected persons must be quarantined according to the incubation period, and those who may be infected must be quarantined.

The NHC also stopped reporting daily Covid cases from Sunday.

The novel coronavirus first emerged in December 2019 in the central Chinese city of Wuhan and has since morphed into a pandemic.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)