Covid-19 alert: US announces mandatory testing for visitors from China, details here

The U.S. announced new COVID-19 testing requirements for all travellers from China, joining other nations imposing restrictions because of a surge of infections. China has loosened its anti-virus regulations in response to a nationwide rise in covid cases, as outlined in these new rules. While successful in reducing the number of new infections in China, the country's "zero COVID" regulations have stifled the economy and angered the population.

The authorities informed the media that starting on January 5th, all flight passengers 2 years of age and older would be required to have a negative result from a test no more than two days before to departure from China, Hong Kong, or Macao.

The federal authorities indicated that passengers who test positive more than 10 days before their travel may produce proof of recovery in place of the negative test result.

China has made a sudden policy shift this month, and has begun dismantling the world's tightest COVID system of lockdowns and intensive testing, putting the country's shattered economy on track for a total re-opening by next year.

Some international health experts are concerned that the unfettered spread of COVID is infecting millions of individuals every day since limits were lifted in response to demonstrations.

International observers have noted inconsistencies between Beijing's official COVID statistics and its number of fatalities.

International modelling organisations have estimated that China may lose 2 million people or more, while some global health experts have estimated that the virus could infect as many as 1 million people each day.

This week, the United States began mulling its own travel restrictions in response to what it calls China's "lack of open data" about the epidemic.

Throughout the epidemic, the United States and China have taken quite different methods to fighting COVID.

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In the early stages of the pandemic, when infection rates were high in the United States, Beijing was able to demonstrate that the tight COVID preventative measures based on its model had saved lives.

The United States ended its 17-month-long mandate that all flying passengers be tested and found to be negative for COVID-19 in June. Most international visitors to the United States must still be COVID-vaccinated before entering the country.

(With inputs from Reuters)