After India, Taiwan, Japan and Malaysia, it is now the United States that requires a negative test. From January 5, “all air passengers aged two years or over from China will be required to take a test no later than two days before departure from China, Hong Kong and Macao, and to submit a negative result to the airlines upon departure,” said the official.
“The recent rapid increase in transmission of COVID-19 in China raises the possibility of new variants emerging,” he added.
According to the official, Beijing provides limited data on variants circulating in China to global databases. Testing and reporting of new cases has also decreased.
He explained that “based on this lack of data availability, it is difficult for public health officials in the United States to identify new variants that are spreading” to the North American country.
The test requirement applies to passengers traveling by air, regardless of their nationality and vaccination status, and includes people traveling from China to the United States via other countries, as well as those traveling through any airport in the United States.
William Shakespeare is a journalist and feature writer specialising in culture, entertainment, history, and current affairs. With a keen eye for storytelling and analysis, he produces informative articles that help readers understand the people, ideas, and events influencing modern life.
