A Look at UK, US Testing Rules + More Covid Test Sites Open

Vincent R. Vinci, Contributing Editor | Jan 4, 2023 2:04 pm | Add a comment | 259 reads

A Closer Look at Testing Rules for Travel to England and the US: From Jan 5, England (excluding Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland) will be rolling out testing requirements for direct and indirect flights from the Chinese mainland, with rules applying if England is a traveler’s final destination or if travelers are transiting through England, according to the UK Government's official website.

If traveling to England by air directly or indirectly, adults and children aged 11 and older must provide Covid test results with two days’ validity. The original test result notification will be checked by airlines before departure, and must be in English, French, or Spanish.

Test results can be provided as a printed document or as an email/text message that can be shown on a phone. Results must include: name (same as on passport), date of birth or age, test result, date test sample was collected or received by test provider, name of test provider and contact details, and conformation of type of test administered (can be lateral flow or PCR).

From Jan 8, some passengers who are 18 or older and coming from the Chinese mainland to England via Heathrow Airport will be invited to take voluntary tests on arrival to monitor for potential new variants.

Air travelers coming from the Chinese mainland to the US will also need to provide a negative Covid test result taken within two days of departure as of Jan 5, according to the US Embassy in Beijing. The rules are for all travelers 2 years and older, and include flights originating from Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR.

The requirements also apply to travelers who are entering the US via Incheon International Airport in Seoul, South Korea; Toronto Pearson International Airport; and Vancouver International Airport in Canada who have been to the Chinese mainland or Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR within ten days before their flight.

Travelers can also opt to show proof of recovery from Covid, according to the US CDC. Documentation of recovery includes a positive Covid viral test result on a sample taken more than ten days but fewer than 91 days before your flight, or a positive Covid viral test result on a sample taken ten or fewer days before your flight plus a letter from a licensed healthcare provider or public health official stating your symptoms started more than ten days before your flight.

In regards to the question of two days versus 48 hours, this has been clarified by the US Embassy, who said in a recent WeChat post that this means two calendar days before departure, in order to allow more flexibility for airlines and passengers in that “test acceptability does not depend on the time of the flight or the time of day that the test sample was taken.”

More Hospitals Open Covid Testing for Travel Services: Beijing United Family and Raffles Hospital Beijing have joined OASIS International Hospital in offering pre-travel Covid testing services with a bilingual report for travel.

Beijing United is currently offering the service from their Jianguomen clinic Monday through Sunday from 9am to 11am. Appointments can be booked via the BJU mini program or by calling 4008 919191 (testing for Japan must be booked by phone). Find out more here.

Raffles Hospital is offering test services Monday through Saturday from 9.30 to 10.30am. Appointments can be booked by calling 10 6462 9112.

These Countries Have Covid-Related Travel Rules or Restrictions: There are currently 15 countries that have imposed Covid test requirements or outright bans on travel for those coming from China.

South Korea, Canada, Australia, France, and Qatar require proof of a negative test result with 48 hours’ validity. South Korea and Canada allow antigen self-test results as proof, but the former country requires the antigen self-test results provided to have 24 hours’ validity. In a similar vein, the US and England both require proof of a negative PCR test result, but have specified two calendar days.

India, Italy, and Israel require proof of a negative test with 72 hours’ validity. India is also conducting random testing on arrival.

Thailand and Spain are requiring proof of full vaccination (two shots) against Covid, with the latter also allowing a negative nucleic acid test result prior to departure in lieu of vaccination proof. Elsewhere, Japan is testing all air travelers from the Chinese mainland on arrival, Malaysia is screening arrivals for fever or symptoms and testing those who present symptoms, and Morocco has banned all travelers from the Chinese mainland outright.

If you want to keep up-to-date with travel outside and around China or with things to do in Beijing, you can join our new Safe & Sane international and domestic travel WeChat groups or our Beijing Explorers group. To join, add TBJButler on WeChat (QR code below) and tell them which group you want to join.