US introduces compulsory testing for travelers from China due to corona wave Why the Kosovo conflict is worsening – the current situation in 5 points

Given the high number of corona infections in China, the US is introducing new restrictions for travelers from the Asian country. The US health authority CDC announced on Wednesday (local time) that air travelers coming from China to the US must submit a negative corona test before departure from January 5. This applies regardless of the nationality of the travelers and their vaccination status. The test should not be older than two days. The clearance requirement is also mandatory for travelers from the Chinese Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau.

The new rule also applies to people coming to the United States from China via a third country, as well as to passengers who want to travel to other destinations via the United States. It is about containing the spread of the coronavirus given the rise in Covid cases in China as the Chinese side has not provided enough data.

China is currently experiencing a rapid increase in corona cases. It is estimated that 248 million people in China contracted the virus in the first three weeks of December alone. Scientists warn that the corona wave could produce new variants that would then find their way to other countries.

After nearly three years of strict precautions, the Chinese leadership abruptly announced an end to its controversial zero-corona policy on December 7. Since the beginning of the pandemic, China’s strategy has been to contain the virus as best it can through lockdowns, mass testing and enforced quarantines to contain even the smallest outbreaks. In the end, however, the measures could not do much against the more easily transferable Omikron variant. Almost all Chinese people are now coming into contact with the virus for the first time. (saw/sda/dpa)