Effective Jan. 5 at 12:01 am, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will require a negative Covid-19 test result, taken within two days of departure, or proof of recovery from the virus within the last 90 days, for all travelers, age two years and older, to the United States on flights originating from the People’s Republic of China. The rule ropes in Hong Kong and Macau and applies to direct travel or travel from a third country, citizens and non-citizens alike.
“These requirements apply to all air passengers regardless of vaccination status or nationality. Monitor the websites for the U.S. Mission in China and U.S. Consulate General Hong Kong & Macau and the CDC’s Travel Health Information page for the latest COVID 19- travel guidance,” the State Department wrote.
China has become the biggest hotspot for Covid infections, after three years of self-imposed isolation, by order of the communist government.
In early December, the government loosened the in-country travel restrictions, ended forced testing, and reduced government lockdowns. People coming to China no longer must stay in quarantine camps, and more flights are being allowed to land as the government gives up its “zero Covid” policies.
The zero-Covid policy was supposed to show the world how superior the communist country was. Instead, after three years, the people revolted. A video posted on YouTube on Dec. 1 showed a 21-story quarantine center in Lanzhou burning out of control, evidently the result of a protest that turned into arson.
The rapidly spreading Covid outbreak in China is impacting policies in Japan and India, both which require incoming travelers from China to produce a negative Covid test, like the U.S. will do in January.
“In the span of a couple of months, China has gone from being a country with an incredibly small number of infections to, perhaps, the world’s largest hotspot,” The Economist reported.
CDC’s order requiring proof of vaccination for non-citizen, non-immigrants to travel to the United States is still in effect. For more information see Requirement for Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination for Air Passengers on CDC’s website or the CDC website for further information.
