China plans to keep the border controls in place due to the corona pandemic in place for at least another year. That reports the Wall Street Journal based on insiders.
Despite relatively low infection rates, the country fears new variants of the virus, especially because several significant events are planned in China next year.
The provisional easing date of mid-2022 is said to have been decided at a meeting of the Chinese government last month. The country hopes to keep the virus under control in the run-up to, among other things, the Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games, which are scheduled for February next year in the capital Beijing. Thousands of participating athletes travel to the country for this.
After the coronavirus outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of 2019, China considerably limited traffic flows with other countries. Travellers must meet strict conditions to enter regardless of their nationality. For example, they have to undergo several medical tests and are obliged to quarantine, which is subject to strict conditions.
Both Chinese and international airlines also risk temporary cancellation of their flights if a certain number of passengers test positive for the coronavirus upon arrival in China.
The daily number of corona infections in China is much lower than in other major countries. On Monday, 25 new infections were reported in China. The government remains alert to possible further spread.
