China: Authorities imposing stricter domestic curbs nationwide as of March 17 amid increased COVID-19 activity /update 46

Event

Authorities in mainland China are imposing tighter restrictions in several cities amid rising COVID-19 activity as of March 17. Officials are imposing stay-home measures, entry and exit controls, nonessential business closures, and public transport suspensions in several major cities, including Shenzhen and Dongguan in Guangdong Province; Langfang, Hebei Province; Suifenhe, Heilongjiang Province; and Changchun and Jilin, Jilin Province. Lockdown measures have prompted factory closures and business disruptions in the affected areas. Less severe restrictions are in place in other significant urban centers like Chongqing, Shenyang, and Dalian.

Domestic Measures
Most local governments continue to require health checks at airports, train stations, and subway stations, regardless of the risk level. Some locations have banned interprovincial tours to and from cities and provinces with medium- and high-risk areas. Provincial and municipal governments likely prohibit the entry of people who have been to places with COVID-19 cases in the last two weeks and may require arrivals or departing travelers to show a negative COVID-19 test result typically taken within 24-48 hours. In almost all major cities, public transport operators also require passengers to share health code information before boarding mass transit. Officials require facemasks on public transport.

The central government implements localized restrictions based on the level of disease activity, with the following risk designations in effect:

• Low risk: Locations with no new confirmed COVID-19 cases and no confirmed cases within 14 consecutive days

• Medium risk: Areas where COVID-19 activity does not exceed 50 cases within 14 days, or more than 50 cases have occurred but not within 14 days; no clusters reported within two weeks

• High risk: Places where new confirmed COVID-19 cases surpass 50, and a cluster has emerged within 14 days

Individuals residing in or with recent travel history to high- and medium-risk areas face travel, movement, and gathering restrictions. Authorities have locked down specific communities in these locations, requiring residents to remain in their homes and undergo multiple rounds of COVID-19 testing. Officials may permit some people to depart affected communities with a negative COVID-19 test result. Officials will continue to erect roadblocks and checkpoints on routes into high- and medium-risk areas in response to further outbreaks; localized transport and business disruptions are almost certain in affected areas.

Depending on the severity of COVID-19 activity, authorities could halt public transport, including air travel, and restrict residents from departing cities where outbreaks occur. As of March 17, flight cancelations and delays are ongoing at Ningbo Lishe (NGB), Shenyang Taoxian (SHE), and Shenzhen Bao’an (SZX) airports. Authorities will divert international flights to Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) to other domestic cities in China through at least May 1.

Supply chain delays and increased processing times are occurring at ports across China, particularly in locations with strict COVID-19 measures. Local authorities could enact restrictions in additional cities at short notice, potentially exacerbating manufacturing and shipping delays.

International Travel Restrictions
The government continues to ban most foreign nationals, except those with valid residence permits, from entering China. However, foreigners with invitations from provincial or municipal governments and some family members of foreign employees with emergency humanitarian needs can apply to enter the country. Authorities also permit foreigners fully vaccinated with Chinese-produced COVID-19 vaccines to apply for visas for work, business, or humanitarian reasons. Officials ban most foreign travelers from Bangladesh, Belgium, France, India, Italy, the Philippines, Russia, and the UK, regardless of residency status, unless they have received Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccines. Diplomatic personnel and C visa holders, generally flight and shipping crew members, are exempt from entry bans regardless of country of origin. Officials continue to ban direct flights with the UK until further notice.

Essential business travel from Singapore, South Korea, and the US can occur under fast-track arrangements. Travel is possible between Singapore and Guangdong, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang provinces and Chongqing, Shanghai, and Tianjin. A fast-track arrangement for business travelers from South Korea to 10 Chinese locations, including Shanghai and Anhui, Jiangsu, Liaoning, and Shandong provinces, is also in place. Companies or government agencies can apply for special passes for inbound visitors, who must test negative for COVID-19 within 48 hours of departure from Singapore or within 72 hours before departure from South Korea and obtain a visa. Passengers must undergo COVID-19 testing upon arrival in China and self-isolate at designated facilities until their results are available. Singapore travelers must also adhere to a preplanned itinerary, refrain from using public transport - except for private hire vehicles - for the first 14 days, and download and use a health pass while in mainland China. Arriving passengers testing positive for COVID-19 will undergo treatment at their own expense.

Authorities require almost all inbound passengers to take a nucleic acid COVID-19 test at designated facilities in the country of origin seven days before departure. Further requirements for inbound passengers from most countries include submission of a nucleic acid and IgM antibody test from designated facilities in the departure country within 48 hours of boarding flights and additional COVID-19 testing in each country they transit. Passengers from certain locations may be required to take an additional PCR test 72 hours before departure From April 1, travelers arriving on flights from the US must present a negative antigen test result taken the day before depature and a green health code before boarding. Authorities may allow fully vaccinated passengers who test positive for COVID-19 antibodies to enter China. Examples of affected locations include multiple European countries, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand, the UAE, the UK, the US, and Vietnam. Authorities could modify testing requirements for entrants at short notice; respective Chinese missions will update country-specific rules. Regardless of nationality or residency, most travelers are barred from using land border crossings. Exceptions exist for cargo transport, though backlogs remain possible at border checkpoints.

Before travel, all authorized passengers must apply for a health certificate via the local Chinese diplomatic mission. Chinese citizens must update their information through WeChat to obtain a health code before boarding flights. The government continues to conduct health screenings, including body temperature scans and nucleic acid testing, at ports of entry nationwide. International arrivals in some locations, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Qingdao, are subject to mandatory anal COVID-19 swabs. Most international travelers must quarantine for 14 days; officials generally allow nonresident passengers to stay in government-designated hotels at their own cost. However, some governments require inbound travelers to self-quarantine and undergo medical observation for an additional 7-14 days. All arrivals must receive a negative COVID-19 test result in quarantine before release from designated facilities.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) manages international airline flight volume based on COVID-19 testing outcomes for passengers. Authorities could suspend a carrier's route at short notice if more than five passengers test positive for COVID-19. Chinese and US regulators continue to limit available outbound flights. Authorities also restrict Chinese airlines' international operations and limit capacity on aircraft. Some airlines continue to suspend services to and from mainland China due to significantly decreased demand. Land borders are prone to closures and processing delays during periods of increased disease activity.

Advice

Consider postponing nonessential travel to mainland China. Confirm all scheduled international flights. Consult airlines and Chinese diplomatic facilities for details on restrictions prior to any travel. Follow all official instructions and closely monitor official announcements on any other precautionary restrictions. Confirm all travel and business reservations. Allow additional travel time due to screenings at airports, train stations, and other transport hubs. Make allowances for possible business disruptions.

Resources

Beijing Capital International Airport
Shanghai Airport Authority
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport
World Health Organization