China’s tough Covid-19 testing and quarantine rules to stay – even as vaccination picks up

Questions such as the limits of vaccines and effectiveness against variants mean China must maintain strict preventive measures: official

The CDC position throws into doubt the idea of a Chinese vaccine passport

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China remains vulnerable to coronavirus outbreaks caused by passengers or goods from countries with high Covid-19 prevalence, says Feng Zijian, deputy director of the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 8:34pm, 22 Mar 2021Updated: 9:48pm, 22 Mar 2021

Vaccinated travellers will still face strict testing and centralised quarantine when they go to China despite global Covid-19 vaccination efforts gathering pace, according to a disease control official who cited concerns that vaccine limitations could cause an outbreak.

“We will continue to strictly implement remote prevention and control measures [on China-bound passengers before they travel] and carry out health checks, centralised isolation and coronavirus nucleic testing. At present, vaccinated passengers will not be exempted from testing and quarantine,” said Feng Zijian, deputy director of the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Goods will also be checked to prevent the transmission of Covid-19.”

This is the first time China has declared its stance on whether border control will be relaxed with Covid-19 vaccination. It may deal a blow to vaccine passports, which various countries hoped would hasten a return to international travel without quarantine.

Israel has already reached agreement with Greece, Cyprus and the Seychelles to allow vaccinated citizens to visit. Some European countries are expected to allow vaccinated Israelis to enter. The Europe Union will vote on a digital green certificate that would allow holders to travel freely within the union.

China proposed its own version of a vaccine passport earlier this month and said it sought reciprocal arrangements with other countries on the basis of “accommodating each other’s concerns” but the idea of ending or cutting quarantine periods would need further review.

Feng suggested that restrictive measures could be lifted only when the domestic population had reached “a high level of immune protection”.

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