China orders mandatory Covid-19 testing for all international arrivals

China’s Civil Aviation Administration has announced that all passengers entering the country from overseas will need to be tested for the Covid-19 virus 5 days before travelling. The statement has been made in conjunction with China’s General Administration of Customs and other government departments. International passengers, whether Chinese citizens or foreign nationals, will be required to take a nucleic acid test, at medical facilities chosen by the Chinese embassy in their country of origin.

Nation Thailand reports that Chinese citizens will need to photograph their test result and upload it to a specific “epidemic prevention” programme available on China’s social media platform, WeChat.

Anyone planning to travel to China needs to contact their nearest Chinese embassy, ​​with a written confirmation that they have tested negative for Covid-19, and request a declaration of health status. This will then be checked by the airline prior to boarding, with anyone failing to produce the required documentation to be denied boarding. Anyone found to be providing falsified documents will face prosecution.

A spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry says the testing requirement will allow for greater ease of movement and ensure business and production can resume in various countries.

“The measure will help promote the flow of transnational personnel, ensure the resumption of work and production of various countries and facilitate the restoration of personnel exchanges.”

It’s understood that as the virus appears to have been successfully suppressed in some countries, China is anxious to resume more business travel and international flights. The government says Chinese embassies will evaluate the testing capability of host countries and will jointly agree on an implementation period based on each country’s capacity.

SOURCE: Nation Thailand