Some Beijing Venues Still Require 48 Hour NAT Results

China’s State Council announced yesterday that public places and venues in China will no longer need to check Covid test results or health codes for entry. Good news right? Well, it’s a bit complicated.

When we went out around Sanlitun yesterday (Dec 7), we found that while some venues like malls didn’t ask for a health code scan or to show test results, most restaurants we tried entering still did.

We've created a handy graphic on the new rules released today (see below) to shed a little more light on this.

Keep in mind that the situation is changing daily, so while the 48 hour test proof and scanning may be required now, this isn't to say these rules might be changed down the line.

According to the report, no nucleic acid test results or health code scans will be required when entering malls, supermarkets, commercial buildings, airports, train stations, movie theaters, or when returning to Beijing domestically.

On the other hand, a green health code will still be required for using public transit including buses and the subway.

The report does say that 48 hour test results and a health code scan will still be required when entering enclosed spaces and other special places. These include bars, gyms, restaurants, schools, nursing homes, internet cafes, KTV houses and other entertainment venues (besides movie theaters, as mentioned above).

Remember, while these are the rules, there isn't a 100 percent guarantee that this will be the case for everywhere you visit. That being said, if you do need to enter someplace in the forseeable future, it’s best to maintain 48 hour Covid test results just in case.

READ: Waimai Deliveries Taking Longer Than Usual? Here's Why

Images: Unsplash, The Beijingers