Chinese embassies and consulates will not stamp health declaration forms. (Representative)
Beijing:
Mainland China has barred entry to non-Chinese visitors from Britain, Belgium and the Philippines, and has asked travelers from the United States, France and Germany to present the results of additional health tests, so as coronavirus cases are on the rise worldwide.
China has temporarily suspended the entry of non-Chinese nationals from the UK even if they hold valid visas and residence permits, the Chinese embassy in Britain said, in some of the worst border restrictions. more stringent imposed by a country in response to the pandemic.
Chinese embassies in Belgium and the Philippines issued similar statements announcing restrictions on travelers from the two countries
“We are concerned about the brutality of the announcement and the blanket entry ban, and await further clarification on when it will be lifted,” the British Chamber of Commerce in China said.
The rejection of non-Chinese travelers from Britain came as England entered a month-long lockdown from Thursday
Britain’s death toll is the highest in Europe and it grapples with more than 20,000 new cases of coronavirus per day.
Belgium has the highest number of new confirmed cases per capita in Europe, while the Philippines has the second highest number of infections and deaths in Southeast Asia after Indonesia.
The suspension was a partial reversal of an easing on September 28, when China allowed all foreigners with valid residence permits to enter.
In March, China banned the entry of foreigners in response to the outbreak.
Starting November 6, all passengers from the United States, France, Germany and Thailand to mainland China must undergo both a nucleic acid test and a blood test for antibodies against the coronavirus. .
Tests must be carried out no later than 48 hours before boarding.
If the passenger has to make a transit stop en route to China, the same tests should be performed in the transit country or region.
Linyi Li, a Chinese national, had planned to fly from Seattle to China in mid-November, but changed her flight to November 6 to get around the rule, even though fares had tripled.
“The tickets sold out in seconds as people were all scrambling to pass the deadline,” said Li, 30.
“I have been rushing to sell a lot of my family assets over the past few days in case I can’t get back to the United States.”
Similar requirements were imposed on travelers from countries like Australia, Singapore and Japan from November 8.
The requirement for double testing was not unprecedented.
Passengers arriving on specially organized flights from countries such as India may undergo several rounds of these tests.
“Unfortunately, while technically leaving the door open, these changes involve a de facto ban on anyone attempting to regain their life, work and family in China,” said the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China.
The chamber also said the antibody test was not widely available in many countries.
On Tuesday, China Southern Airlines, the country’s largest carrier by number of passengers, announced it would suspend transit services for passengers from 21 countries, mainly African and Asian countries such as India and the Philippines. .
The number of weekly international passenger flights serving mainland China from late October to March is expected to drop 96.8% from a year earlier to 592, according to the latest timetables.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
