The Biden administration announced on Wednesday that travelers from China, Hong Kong and Macau must present negative Covid-19 tests before entering the United States, a move it says is designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The requirement takes effect on January 5.
The announcement, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, came amid growing concerns about a surge in cases in China and the country’s lack of transparency about the outbreak there.
CDC officials said the testing requirement will apply to airline passengers regardless of nationality and vaccination status. It will also apply to travelers from China entering the United States through a third country, and to travelers traveling to other destinations via the United States.
China’s Covid outbreak has worsened in recent days, with local governments reporting hundreds of thousands of infections a day. Videos obtained by DailyExpertNews show sick patients crowding the corridors of the hospital. But the situation is difficult to track in real time because China is not releasing reliable Covid data.
This is an evolving story. Check back later for updates.