China lifts Covid restrictions on foreign travel, ends quarantine rule for inbound travellers

Despite struggling with a nationwide surge of COVID-19 cases, China has lifted quarantine provisions for inbound travellers.On Sunday, the first section of passengers to arrive under the new rules landed at airports in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, CGTN news agency reported.

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There were 387 flyers on the flights from Singapore and Toronto. However, no one was subjected to COVID-19 tests or earlier mandatory five-day quarantine after arrival.

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The abrupt abandonment of China's 'Zero-Covid' policy gradually led to the liftingof the quarantine rules. After record-breaking protests in China over the strict measures, Beijing abolished the hardline strategy of compulsory quarantine, lockdown and regular testing.

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However, the blunt switch has exposed a large population of the country to the virus for the first time, leading to a new massive wave of infections caused by the new coronavirus variants. The rapidly spreading virus has caused a shortage of medicines, and resulted in overcrowding athospitals and long queues at crematoriums.

China shut international borders nearly three years ago when the pandemic hit the country first. However, the desertion of Covid restrictions might be a time-out for many Chinese nationals.

But as China lifts its COVID-19 restrictions, many nations have imposed checks on travellers coming from China. They have shared concerns over the rapid increase in cases in China and the potential emergence of a new coronavirus variant.

(With inputs from agencies)

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