China, where most believe the coronavirus began in the Wuhan province and triggered a global pandemic that has claimed millions of lives, has been among the most restrictive countries in the world when it came to travel.
After almost three years, China is now easing some of those restrictions.
According to an article in EuroNews, China has begun to relax some of its rigid protocols that have practically isolated the country. Airline passengers arriving in China must produce just a negative PCR test within 48 hours of travel prior to arriving.
The Asian nation had previously required two negative tests to visit.
It's a small step, but a noteworthy one. China is not only one of the most popular countries for tourists, but this decision to begin easing restrictions should be a boon to business travel as well. China is one of the last, if not the last, countries to reopen economically in the wake of the pandemic.
Visitors from outside the country will still have to quarantine upon arrival in China, however, although that restriction was reduced. Instead of having to quarantine for 10 days, visitors will now have to quarantine for eight days. But officials did note that the country will eliminate its secondary tracing efforts to allow for greater movements.
China also got rid of its 'circuit breaker' policy in which all international flights into China could have been banned for a period of time if the country noticed a spike in positive cases.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
