January 8 The cabin crew of an international flight made their way to the exit of Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, China. China announced on Tuesday that it is waiving PCR test requirements for entry into the country. File photo by Alex Plavevski/EPA-EFE
April 25 (UPI) — Travelers to China will no longer be required to provide PCR test results, the country said Tuesday, removing a major hurdle for visitors since the start of the investigation. The COVID 19 pandemic.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said that starting Saturday, travelers will only need to show a negative rapid antigen test result. China previously removed the PCR test requirement for travelers arriving only from New Zealand and Malaysia.
It added that airlines will no longer be required to check test results before departure.
“We would like to remind inbound and outbound travelers to take care of their health before departure and strictly follow the COVID protocols of China and their travel destinations to ensure a healthy and pleasant trip and a safe journey home.” Mao said at a press conference in Beijing.
“China will continue to improve its prevention and control policies in a scientifically-based way, taking into account the changing epidemic situation, to ensure safe, healthy and orderly travel between China and other countries.”
China’s tourism industry continues to slowly recover from pre-pandemic numbers, which have also been hurt by high airline fares and visa waivers.
China was one of the last countries to drop its requirement to quarantine travelers on January 8. upon arrival on the mainland. That 14-day isolation rule has been in place since 2020. in March, at the height of the pandemic.
