Due to the current situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, relevant authorities have adjusted and implemented some restrictions for inbound travelers. Let’s check the updates.
China Tightens COVID-19 Testing Rules for Travelers From U.S.
The Chinese embassy in the United States has announced new rules for China-bound travelers due to the potential risk of importing COVID-19 and alleged testing evasions. The new rules will take effect from Dec 23, 2020.
According to the Notice on the Requirement Adjustment of the Nucleic Acid rt-PCR and IgM Serum Antibody Tests, IgM serum antibody test must be performed by medical professionals through venous blood sampling.
The test report should include the following terms: Serum, IgM, Venous, etc. Finger-prick blood testing is no longer accepted.
What’s more, passengers traveling to China must get their samples for the nucleic acid rt-PCR and IgM serum antibody tests collected at the departure city and vicinity of their direct flight to China in order to prevent infection from long-distance travel after testing.
For more details about the requirements, please check the following link to read the full content of the notice:
http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/visas/t1841416.htm
HK Bans Flights from the UK
The Hong Kong government announced Monday to ban all flights from the United Kingdom starting Tuesday to fend off a mutated strain of COVID-19.
The amended rule would stipulate that people who have stayed in the UK for more than two hours in the past 14 days shall be rejected boarding the plane, effectively banning all the direct and transit flights to the city.
According to Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee, travelers who have already returned from the UK recently will also be required to undergo another week of quarantine at home after completing two weeks of hotel quarantine.
Hong Kong’s flag carrier Cathay Pacific said in a notice that the airline has canceled all of its flights to the UK until Jan 10.
Macao Tightens Quarantine Policy for Inbound Travelers
The anti-epidemic authority of China’s Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) said on Monday that it has tightened quarantine policies for inbound travelers due to changes in the COVID-19 situation abroad.
Starting from 10 p.m. local time Monday, those who have traveled to countries and regions outside the Chinese mainland and Taiwan within 14 days of entering Macao, will have to be quarantined for 21 days instead of the previous 14 days.
Travelers who have completed 14 days of quarantine but within 21 days of entering Macao upon the announcement need to monitor their health conditions by themselves for seven days and take nucleic acid testing again.
We will keep following the updates on China-bound flights and the latest entry policies. Stay tuned!
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SOURCE | Chinese Embassy / China Daily
