China lifted mandatory quarantines for international travelers, ending almost three years of self-isolation this Sunday despite the country battling a new explosion of infections.
The event occurs after the Government officially lowered the category of COVID-19 from level A to B and thus, in practice, put an end to the policy known as ‘zero covid’.
#China reopens its borders after almost three years
From this Sunday, international tourists and Chinese citizens living abroad will not have to comply with a quarantine when entering the country.
China ?? recently put an end to its strict “covid zero” policy. /go pic.twitter.com/TWhEmtr3gm
— DW Spanish (@dw_espanol) January 8, 2023
The new situation comes just one day after the start of the 40-day period known in Chinese as “chunyun,” the world’s largest annual migration, which happens every year during Lunar New Year. Tens of thousands of overseas Chinese citizens are expected to travel to the country.
The first flight that took advantage of the paradigm shift was the CZ312 that linked the Canadian city of Toronto with Canton (south).
But, the land border posts have also witnessed the flow of people who have taken advantage of the end of the quarantines to enter the Asian giant.
At the Hekou checkpoint, which connects China with Vietnam, the border sees a return of commercial activity and many people brought flowers to the place to hug family and friends for the first time since 2020, the official newspaper reported. Global Times.
The change of category for COVID-19 covers measures such as voluntary PCR tests in national territory, classified diagnoses and treatment of the disease according to its severity.
In addition, this disease, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, will be removed from the category of infectious diseases that require quarantine in accordance with the legislation of the Asian country.
The change of strategy in the face of the pandemic in China occurred after the unprecedented protests due to exhaustion generated by the restrictions imposed to contain the new outbreaks.
With information from Efe and AfP.
