US mulling Covid entry curbs for passengers from China ‘similar’ to India, Japan

India and Japan have both made a negative Covid-19 test report mandatory for passengers coming from their neighbouring country.

The US is considering entry measures for passengers travelling from China in wake of a fresh outbreak of Covid-19 in the Asian nation that has led to hospitals and crematoriums overflowing there. US officials mentioned concerns expressed by the World Health Organization (WHO) as well as steps adopted by India, Japan and Malaysia for mulling stricter rules for international travellers from China.

Passengers prepare to board a flight at the airport in north-central China's Jiangxi province. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Officials said that the US is following the “Science and advice of public health experts, consulting with partners, and considering taking similar steps” to protect the Americans, AFP reported on Wednesday.

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Malaysia has activated additional tracking and surveillance measures in view of the fresh infection spike in China, while India and Japan have both made a negative Covid-19 test report mandatory for passengers coming from their neighbouring country. India has also begun a random sampling of 2 per cent of international passengers to keep any surge in Covid-19 cases in the nation in check. In Japan, foreign travellers who test positive have to quarantine for a week.

The concerns shown by the countries come at a time China is preparing to reopen its borders on January 8. The country has already lifted several measures of its stringent ‘Zero Covid’ policy and is dismantling the rest rapidly, even as uncertainly looms over the official case figures. The National Health Commission has stopped reporting asymptomatic infections, and it ceased to publish daily infection data altogether on Sunday. However, China CDC continues to publish them. This has made it hard to understand the real status of the Covid-19 situation in the country.

Last week, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that it is concerned regarding the evolving Covid-19 scenario in China and the increasing number of cases. “In order to make a comprehensive risk assessment of the situation on the ground, WHO needs more detailed information on disease severity, hospital admissions and requirements for ICU support,” he was quoted as saying by Reuters.

The BF.7 variant has been reported to be the primary driver in the latest Covid-19 outbreak in China. It is not a new variant but a sub lineage of Omicron BA.5.

(With inputs from Bloomberg)