As China marks its journey towards normalization post-pandemic, the nation has announced that it will discontinue its requirement for incoming travelers to present negative COVID-19 test results.
This significant step, which comes into effect from Wednesday, is seen as a major milestone in China’s reopening after having shut its borders in March 2020, leading to nearly three years of isolation, The Associated Press reports.
This major policy shift was revealed by the Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Wang Wenbin, during a press briefing in Beijing early this week.
China will no longer require a negative COVID-19 test result for incoming travelers starting Wednesday, he explained.
Earlier this year, in January, China took a similar step in easing its restrictions by terminating quarantine requirements for its own returning citizens.
The nation also began expanding the list of countries its citizens could travel to while simultaneously increasing the volume of international flights.
China’s renowned “zero COVID” policy came to an end only in the past December.
This rigid approach, which lasted years, was characterized by strict measures, such as full-city lockdowns and extended quarantines for those infected with the virus.
Moreover, in efforts to contain the spread, the authorities had previously obligated travelers to undergo quarantine for several weeks in state-appointed hotels.
On certain occasions, residents experienced forced confinement within their homes, AP notes.
The rigorous strategy didn’t come without its own set of challenges.
The stringent controls posed considerable challenges to the world’s second-largest economy, triggering elevated unemployment rates and sporadic instances of public discontent.
Highlighting the extent of the public’s frustration, Wang indicated that protests in major cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Nanjing erupted in November over the COVID curbs.
These were the most prominent public challenges faced by the Communist Party since the 1989 Tiananmen protests.
In a surprising move, a majority of the COVID restrictions were suddenly removed in December.
This sudden relaxation led to a surge in infections, straining both the hospitals and mortuaries.
During its “zero COVID” era, local administrations frequently executed sudden lockdowns purportedly to contain outbreaks, occasionally confining people within their workspaces and residences.
Last year, between April and June, Shanghai experienced one of the largest pandemic-induced lockdowns, affecting its 25 million inhabitants.
The citizens had to undertake regular PCR testing and were dependent on often insufficient government food provisions.
In the face of this global health crisis, Beijing continually highlighted its “zero COVID” strategy, emphasizing the initial lower infection rates as a testament to the efficiency of China’s governance, in comparison to Western democracies.
Nevertheless, after the cessation of these COVID measures, the nation grapples with a lethargic economic resurgence.
The aftereffects of the pandemic, combined with rising diplomatic tensions with Western nations like the United States, have seen a decline in foreign investments in China.
