December 26, the National Health Commission released a breaking news, that is, no quarantine anymore for inbound personnel from January 8, 2023!
No quarantine! Everyone will be free!
In addition, other control measures, such as COVID tests, restrictions on flights and health code, will all become history.
No more health code
People coming to China shall have a COVID test 48 hours before leaving, and those with negative results are allowed to enter China without applying for a health code from Chinese embassies and consulates abroad. But they still need to fill in a customs health declaration form. People with positive results are temporarily not allowed to board.
No quarantine after entry
COVID tests and centralized quarantine for all personnel upon entry will be cancelled. Those whose health declaration is normal and there is no abnormality in the customs port routine quarantine can be set free for social activities.
No more restrictions on int’l flights
Measures to control the number of international passenger flights, including the “five-one” policy and the passenger load factor limit, will be lifted.
Measures on board
Airlines continue to prevent disease on board, and passengers are required to wear masks when flying.
Optimized arrangements for expats coming to China
China will further optimize arrangements for foreigners returning to China for work resumption, business, study, family visits and reunions, and provide visa facilities accordingly. The entry and exit of passenger transport by water and land ports will be gradually resumed.
China will resume outbound tourism in an orderly manner in light of the international epidemic situation and the service support capacity of all sectors.
In a word, arrivals only need a Covid test for boarding, and won’t be isolated after landing.
Apart from the change of policies for overseas personnel, domestic epidemic prevention policies have also undergone big changes. The NHC also released the overall plan of “Class B management for Category B Infectious Disease” yesterday, emphasizing that the country will downgrade its treatment of COVID-19 from January 8.
Officially downgrades Class A management of COVID-19 to Class B.
No more quarantine measures for people infected with COVID.
No longer judging close contacts.
No longer delineating high and low risk areas.
Implementing hierarchical and classified admissions for infected people and adjusting medical security policies.
No more mandatory large-scale COVID tests.
No longer required Health Code and Quarantine measures for International Traveler or goods.
