Due to the current situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, several countries and regions have announced to implemented entry restrictions and other measures. Let’s check the updates.
Countries to tighten entry measures
Vietnam recorded one new confirmed case of COVID-19 on Monday, raising its total tally to 1,515 with 35 deaths, according to its Ministry of Health.
In a recent directive, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc ordered competent authorities to limit inbound flights until the Lunar New Year festival as new variants of the novel coronavirus are spreading in many countries.
On Dec 28, Japan suspended entries of non-resident foreign nationals arriving from the majority of the world in a bid to prevent the spread of the new, highly transmissible coronavirus strain.
The entry restrictions will last through the end of January, while Japanese citizens and foreign residents entering Japan from regions where the new strain of the virus has been detected will be required to submit a negative virus test prior to and after arrival in Japan.
Business people and students from a few countries and regions including China and South Korea, however, are exempt from the latest restrictions. Japan and South Korea have a special scheme to ease travel restrictions.
Japan has already banned new entries by non-resident foreign nationals who have recently been to Britain or South Africa.
Cuba reported three more deaths and a record 388 new cases of COVID-19, the Ministry of Public Health (Minsap) reported on Sunday.
Authorities are associating the current rebound in cases in the country with the entry of travelers from abroad during the end-of-year holidays. The situation has forced the government to adopt new restriction measures in several provinces.
Starting on Sunday, travelers arriving from abroad will be required to submit a health declaration and a PCR test carried out no more than 72 hours before flying.
The Philippines shuts its borders to foreigners arriving from 20 countries and territories in a bid to prevent a new strain of coronavirus entering the nation
The ban on travelers from places including Australia, France, Japan and Hong Kong comes as the archipelago braces for a post-Christmas surge in the virus that has infected nearly half a million people.
The country has closed the borders to Britain in recent weeks and later announced to extend the ban to Jan 15.
- China-UK flights to remain grounded
China will continue to suspend passenger flights from the United Kingdom, effective Monday, according to a news release by China’s Civil Aviation Administration on Sunday afternoon.
The administration temporarily suspended regular passenger flights between the UK and China on Dec 28 to help curb the expansion of the coronavirus pandemic from the UK.
Airlines are required to offer services to passengers regarding ticket refunds and alterations due to the suspension.
- Flights to and from Shijiazhuang are suspended
Shijiazhuang, capital of Hebei province, has been put under a lockdown after the city reported the highest daily COVID-19 case numbers since the outbreak occurred in recent days.
“All residents and vehicles are not allowed to leave Shijiazhuang and residents’ movements within the city will be limited,” Meng Xianghong, vice-mayor of Shijiazhuang, said on Thursday night at a news conference on epidemic control.
Many flights to and from Shijiazhuang have been canceled since Thursday morning. Railway stations have stopped selling tickets, while long-distance buses are suspended.
We will keep following the updates on China-bound flights and the latest entry policies. Stay tuned!
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SOURCE | SilkRoadPost / China Daily / Xinhua / AFP
