China: Authorities to require testing for passenger transport nationwide from Sept. 10 /update 51

Event

Authorities in China will require air, trains, and interprovincial bus and ferry passengers to obtain a negative PCR test result within 48 hours before departure from Sept. 10 to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Individuals staying at a hotel or guest house or visiting tourist sites must hold a negative PCR test result obtained in the previous 72 hours. The National Health Commission has also recommended that interprovincial travelers undergo a PCR test upon arrival at their destination and limit cross-city travel, though those policies are not mandated.

The government will also require a 48-hour negative test result to attend large gatherings such as conferences and exhibitions; official advice indicates such events should be necessary, and the cancellation of large-scale events is likely. Testing requirements will remain in place through at least Oct. 31.

Domestic Measures
China continues to implement a zero-COVID strategy nationwide. Officials are imposing stay-home measures, entry and exit controls, nonessential business closures, and public transport suspensions in areas with COVID-19 activity. Authorities can implement lockdowns at short notice, disrupting medical care and essential services, including food deliveries.

Some local governments are conducting mass testing drives for residents as a precaution and require individuals to present a negative COVID-19 test result to take public transport and enter airports, train stations, and subway stations, regardless of the risk level. Local officials can ban 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 seven days and may require arrivals or departing travelers to show a negative COVID-19 test result typically taken within 24-48 hours. Transport operators in almost all major cities require passengers to share health code information before boarding mass transit. Officials manadate facemasks on public transport. 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.

The central government classifies districts and neighborhoods as high-, medium-, or low-risk areas depending on COVID-19 activity. 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. Security personnel will continue to erect roadblocks and checkpoints on routes into designated high- and medium-risk areas; localized transport and business disruptions are almost certain in affected areas.

Lockdown measures have prompted factory closures and business disruptions. Nevertheless, local officials may allow companies to operate under a closed-loop system where employees live, work, and undergo routine testing on-site. Despite central government directives to ensure the movement of freight and logistics, local authorities could continue to close expressways or impose exit and entry controls during COVID-19 outbreaks. Supply chain delays and increased processing times could occur at ports in locations with strict COVID-19 measures.

International Travel Restrictions
The government continues to ban entry for most foreign nationals. However, foreigners with valid Chinese residence permits for long-term study, APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) holders, people traveling at the invitation of 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 American or Chinese-produced COVID-19 vaccines to apply for visas for work, business, or humanitarian reasons. Diplomatic personnel and C visa holders, generally flight and shipping crew members, are exempt from entry bans.

Essential business travel from Singapore, South Korea, and the US can occur under fast-track arrangements to specific cities and municipalities. 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 72 hours before departure from South Korea and obtain a visa. Passengers must undergo COVID-19 testing upon arrival 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 most inbound passengers to take a PCR test within 48 hours of boarding, another PCR test within 12-24 hours before departure, depending on their location, and additional COVID-19 testing in each country they transit. Shortened testing windows may apply to some locations, and officials may require passengers from certain locations to take an additional PCR test 72 hours before departure. Authorities could modify testing requirements for entrants at short notice; respective Chinese missions will update country-specific rules. The government bars most travelers, except cargo transporters, from using land border crossings; freight backlogs remain possible at border checkpoints.

All authorized passengers must apply for a health certificate via the local Chinese diplomatic mission. Authorities have adjusted health certificate requirements for some countries, including the US, permitting travelers to China to use transit flights. Chinese citizens must update their information through WeChat to obtain a health code before boarding flights. The government continues to conduct on-arrival health screenings, including body temperature scans and nucleic acid testing. International arrivals in some locations, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Qingdao, may be subject to mandatory anal COVID-19 swabs. Most international travelers must quarantine for seven days at government-designated facilities at their own cost, submit to regular testing, receive a negative test result before exiting quarantine, and undergo three additional days of self-quarantine.

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 passenger 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