US to ease COVID-19 testing rules for travellers from China starting Friday

The Biden administration is set to relax COVID-19 testing restrictions for travelers from China as cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are declining in the country. The travel restrictions were put in place on December 28 and took effect on January 5 amid a surge in infections in China. The decision to lift restrictions is expected to be implemented as soon as Friday, according to two people familiar with the decision.

The restrictions required travelers from China, Hong Kong and Macau to take a COVID-19 test no more than two days before travel and provide a negative test before boarding their flight. The testing applied to anyone 2 years and older, including US citizens. It also applied to people traveling from China via a third country and to people connecting through the US as they go on to other destinations.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this year expanded genomic surveillance at several US airports, collecting voluntary samples from passengers aboard hundreds of weekly flights from China, and the testing of wastewater aboard airplanes. The Traveler-based Genomic Surveillance Program will continue to monitor travelers from China and more than 30 other countries.