Post-Covid Travel News You Might Have Missed

Post-Zero Covid Travel News You Might Have Missed

Vincent R. Vinci, Contributing Editor | Jan 5, 2023 3:10 pm | Add a comment | 241 reads

Hainan Airlines Opens New Belgrade-Beijing Route: China-based Hainan Airlines will reopen nonstop flight services from Belgrade to Beijing as of Jan 14, reports EX-YU Aviation News.

The carrier has been operating services between Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, and the Chinese capital with a stopover in Dalian due to quarantine requirements for inbound passengers to China. Flights between Belgrade and Beijing will continue to run every Saturday, with flights departing Belgrade at 2.30pm and arriving in Beijing at 7.30am the next day.

European Union Recommends Member States Require Test Results: The EU’s Integrated Political Crisis Response group has recommended that member states require arrivals from China to provide negative Covid test results before arrival, but has not made such a response mandatory, according to the BBC.

The IPCR has also advised that all passengers on flights to and from China wear face masks, random testing of flights from China be introduced, and wastewater monitoring be conducted at airports.

Thus far, only Belgium has started carrying out wastewater testing on airplanes coming from China, according to Reuters.

Chinese FM: Country Will Take “Corresponding Measures” in Light of Restrictions: China’s Foreign Ministry has said it will enact its own Covid travel restrictions in light of 15 countries having recently imposed rules on travelers coming from China, reports Bloomberg.

In an answer to a question on China’s response to these restrictions on Jan 2, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning responded by saying “China will take corresponding measures based on the principle of reciprocity in different situations.”

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.

As mentioned above, the EU has recommended that member states require negative Covid tests from arrivals from China, but this requirement isn’t mandatory.

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.