According to Live Mint, the United States (US) is considering new coronavirus prevention measures for travelers from China, which has witnessed a significant surge in illnesses since officials lifted the zero Covid policy.
According to authorities, the US administration is concerned about the increase in Covid cases in China, which has also prompted doubts about the transparency of data. Officials sought anonymity in order to share internal deliberations.
Japan now requires tourists from China to present a negative Covid-19 test report upon arrival, while Malaysia has implemented new tracking and surveillance measures. The United States is reportedly considering similar measures to prevent future spread.
Unhappiness with Covid Zero spurred protests in China, prompting officials to move swiftly to end these policies and three years of international isolation. Bloomberg notes that the pace of these changes has led to an increase in infection rates.
China will no longer quarantine incoming passengers beginning January 8, the authorities announced.
China’s National Health Commission stated in an official statement that anyone entering the country would only be required to provide negative test results within 48 hours of departure.
At the same time, China is witnessing the greatest Covid-19 outbreak in the world, causing widespread concern among public-health officials. According to estimates from the nation’s highest health authority, about 37 million people may have been infected with the virus on a single day last week.
On the basis of conversations with public health specialists and international partners, US officials stated they were exploring new travel precautions. Bloomberg reported that they said the negotiations were motivated in part by a lack of genome sequencing data that could help pinpoint the appearance of a new variation.
For the first time since the omicron strain produced an increase in infections more than a year ago, health authorities are concerned that the virus’s uninterrupted spread could produce a hazardous new variety.
