by Donald Wood
Last updated: 11:30 AM ET, Wed April 26, 2023
China
continues to ease coronavirus-related travel protocols as the country announced
inbound international tourists will no longer need to provide a negative PCR
test, starting on April 29.
According to The
Associated Press, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning revealed on
Tuesday that international travelers would still need to present a negative
antigen test result taken within 48 hours of boarding their flight.
As part of an effort to improve tourism, China resumed
issuing all
types of visas last month, but kept the existing PCR testing requirements
in place, despite the high-cost acting as a deterrent for prospective visitors.
“To further facilitate cross-border travel, China is taking
new steps to refine pre-departure testing requirements guided by the principle
of ensuring safe and orderly travel and keeping the measures science based and
well targeted,” Mao told The AP.
In addition, Mao said airlines would “no longer be required
to check test results before departure.”
China’s National Health Commission announced on Wednesday
that COVID-19 cases in early April dropped to the lowest levels since December
despite starting the process of rolling back coronavirus-related safety
measures at the end of 2022.
In March, the United States Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) dropped COVID testing for travelers
arriving from China. The U.S. government plans to monitor coronavirus cases
in China to adjust the protocols as necessary.
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