Coronavirus: could US restrictions on travellers from China raise tensions further?
- Washington may impose new travel restrictions over ‘lack of transparent data’
- US-led ‘counter-China coalition’ a possible factor in travel controls, expert says
The United States may impose new restrictions on travellers from China over a “lack of transparent data”, a move that analysts said would be driven by public health concerns, but also reflected “mutual unease” amid tensions.
The announcement came after Japan announced on Tuesday that travellers from mainland China would be required to provide a negative pre-departure test starting on Friday, which was a reference point for the US measures.
“Without this data, it is becoming increasingly difficult for public health officials to ensure that they will be able to identify any potential new variants and take prompt measures to reduce the spread.”
On Sunday, China’s National Health Commission ended its three-year-old practice of releasing daily caseload numbers after compulsory tests were abandoned.