China ends quarantine for overseas travellers amid surge in COVID-19 cases

China lifted its quarantine restrictions for inbound travellers on Sunday, ending a nearly three-year period of isolation even as the nation faces an increase in COVID-19 infections. 

The country will further resume issuing visas for residents to travel overseas with China’s immigration authorities saying that they will start receiving applications for issuing passports for tourism and visits abroad, reported ANI. 

Travellers crossing between Hong Kong and mainland China must nevertheless present a COVID-19 test result taken within the last 48 hours. 

According to the new policies released on the official website of the CAAC, China will stop designating inbound high-risk flights and call an end to the 75% restriction for passenger capacity on inbound flights. 

Beijing started a dramatic deconstruction of its tough campaign against the virus, imposing obligatory quarantines and oppressive lockdowns, last month. Every arrival since March 2020 was required to undergo isolation at centralised government facilities. 

“The goal is to get back as quickly as possible to the pre-epidemic normal life,” Hong Kong’s Chief Executive John Lee said. “We want to get cooperation between the two sides back on track.”

Increase in bookings to popular destinations

The relaxation occurs a few days after the Chinese mainland softened its rigorous COVID-19 zero policy and slightly loosened its travel restrictions.

As per the NHK World report, Chinese media said that access to major online travel sites for bookings to popular destinations, including Japan and Thailand increased ten-fold after the government’s announcement. 

China has however prohibited these agencies from taking reservations for group excursions and from selling package tours.

Arrangement of scheduled passenger flights 

Scheduled passenger flights will be arranged by Chinese and foreign airlines in line with bilateral agreements. 

Additionally, new steps have been implemented to improve anti-COVID management following the government's downgrading of COVID-19 management to class B and cancellation of the quarantine requirements for entering travellers beginning January 8, 2023.