BEIJING—Chinese health authorities plan to lift Covid-19 quarantine requirements on international arrivals early next month, taking one of the country’s biggest steps to ease restrictions since the pandemic began even as case numbers remain high.
China has maintained among the world’s most restrictive coronavirus lockdown measures, slowing its economy significantly and sparking anger. Following waves of protests this fall, authorities abruptly abandoned the country’s stringent zero-Covid-19 strategy early this month.
From Jan. 8, China will scrap all quarantine measures for Covid-19, including requirements for inbound visitors, both foreigners and Chinese nationals, according to the National Health Commission.
The commission late Monday issued a plan to stop treating Covid-19 as a “Class A” infectious disease, which demands stringent control measures, and downgrade the management of the virus to “Class B,” which requires more basic treatment and prevention. The Wall Street Journal reported last month that China was weighing such a move, which would give it room to further loosen public-health measures.
The change means people traveling to China from abroad will need to have only a negative Covid-19 test within 48 hours to be allowed into the country, the NHC said. International arrivals will no longer be required to be tested on arrival or undergo quarantine—a major step toward opening up for a country that has been largely closed off to the outside world for three years.
The commission in its statement pledged to facilitate foreigners’ visits to China, including those for business, studying and family reunion, and to provide visa assistance.
The shift came as fever clinics and hospital emergency rooms in Beijing were overflowing with patients on Monday and Chinese leader
Xi Jinping
called on local officials to take pains to save lives.
Before the downgrade announcement, Mr. Xi addressed his country’s new pandemic reality for the first time in comments marking the 70th anniversary of the Patriotic Health Movement, a campaign to wipe out flies and mosquitoes launched by Mao Zedong during the Korean War to fortify China against the possibility of American germ warfare.
“At present, our country’s Covid prevention and control efforts are facing new circumstances and a new mission,” Mr. Xi said. China…
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