China is poised to end its quarantine requirements for international visitors in early January, marking a significant step toward reopening even as the country grapples with a massive surge in COVID-19 cases.
The China National Health Commission announced on Monday it would no longer require travelers to quarantine upon arrival and that it would ease restrictions on the number of incoming flights the country may receive on any given day beginning on Jan. 8. The loosened restrictions reverse the country’s current requirements for travelers to quarantine for eight days, which has been in place for nearly three years since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, it also comes as China grapples with a massive surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths in recent weeks. Although Chinese officials have stopped publishing daily COVID-19 data, some experts predict the country could see 1 million coronavirus-related deaths over the next several months due to the eased restrictions.
“[There’s] just not adequate protection in a population as large as China, with so many vulnerable people,” said WHO Emergencies Chief Dr. Michael Ryan, pointing to the country’s lagging vaccination rates with Chinese-made vaccines that only have about 50% efficacy. “The question remains whether or not enough vaccination can be done in the coming week or two weeks that will actually blunt the impact of the second wave and the burden on the health system.
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