China, which has applied a strict ‘zero covid’ policy for almost three years, will end its near-total border closure
China will extend the granting of visas to foreigners as of March 15, almost three years after paralyzing this type of effort due to the Covid-19 pandemic , the Department of Consular Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry reported in the last few hours .
Travelers with valid visas issued before March 28, 2020, the date on which the almost total closure of Chinese borders to foreigners was decreed , will be able to access the Asian country, the Department reported in a statement on its official account at Wechat social network.
In recent months, China had re- issued some visas for certain business and student travelers and people with relatives in the Asian country .
“In order to further facilitate exchanges between China and abroad ,” the agencies “will resume processing various types of visas ,” the statement reads.
The Chinese authorities also announced the resumption of visa -free entry policies for visitors traveling to the southern island of Hainan or entering Shanghai (east) on a cruise ship.
Chinese embassies in many countries, including the United States, Luxembourg, Canada, Argentina and South Korea , have specified that the ” various types of visas ” cited by the Department of Consular Affairs do include travel visas.
Withdrawal of PCR requirements
On the other hand, the Chinese consular representations in countries such as Spain, Portugal, Vietnam, Nepal, Singapore or Kazakhstan also announced in the last few hours that, as of March 15 , airlines will no longer have to check before boarding if passengers destined for China have a negative PCR test carried out in the previous 48 hours.
At the beginning of the month, Chinese embassies in some countries such as Russia, Singapore or New Zealand already announced the withdrawal of this requirement for travelers to the Asian giant .
Travelers from the aforementioned countries may show a negative result of an antigen test carried out in the 48 hours prior to takeoff.
In turn, some countries such as France have withdrawn or softened in recent weeks the requirements for PCR tests for travelers from China , which began to be applied after the dismantling of the ‘zero covid’ policy in the Asian country and the consequent wave of infections that the nation experienced last January.
China applied a strict ‘zero covid’ policy for almost three years that implied an almost total closure of borders : various types of visas were stopped being issued and only Chinese citizens and a small number of foreigners could enter the country, after which A minimum of 14 days of quarantine awaited them in a hotel assigned by the authorities and paid for by the traveler .
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China began to dismantle the strategy at the end of 2022 , and on January 8, it reduced disease management from category A -level of maximum danger- to category B , thus effectively marking the end of this policy and the end of the quarantines .
Source: from El Sol de Mazatlán | Noticias Locales, Policiacas, sobre México, Sinaloa y el Mundo – frontpage on 2023-03-14 07:18:08
