Passengers arriving in England from China will have to provide a negative Covid-19 test before boarding a flight, according to the UK’s Department of Health and Social Care. The testing requirement will apply to people flying to English airports and will take effect on January 5, 2021. From January 8, the UK Health Security Agency will also launch surveillance, which will involve testing a sample of passengers arriving from China for the virus upon arrival. Several other countries, including the US, France, and India, have also imposed testing for travellers from China in response to a surge in cases following Beijing’s decision to relax its zero-Covid policy. China has announced that it will fully reopen its borders on January 8.
The UK’s decision to require a negative Covid-19 test for passengers arriving from China has been implemented as a precautionary measure in response to a recent surge in cases in China following the relaxation of its zero-Covid policy. The testing requirement will apply to people flying to English airports and will take effect on January 5, 2021. From January 8, the UK Health Security Agency will also launch surveillance, which will involve testing a sample of passengers arriving from China for the virus upon arrival. The UK government has stated that the measures are temporary and will be reviewed based on the latest data on the Covid-19 situation.
Several other countries have also implemented testing for travellers from China in response to the surge in cases. These include the US, France, and India. China has announced that it will fully reopen its borders on January 8. The World Health Organization (WHO) has called on Beijing to share “real-time” information on Covid-19, including data on deaths, hospitalizations, and vaccinations. The WHO has offered to support China in data-sharing efforts and has acknowledged that it is understandable that some countries are imposing fresh restrictions.