Travellers from China to the United States will now be required to carry a negative Covid-19 test result before flying to the country as Beijing’s ease of pandemic restrictions leads to a surge in cases. Passengers arriving from China to the US will now need to get a test no more than two days before flying and present proof of the negative test to their airline before flying, reported CNN quoting federal health officials as saying. 


The travellers can either have a PCR test or a rapid antigen self-test administered through a telehealth service and the new requirements will come into force from January 5. 


The requirement will apply both to passengers directly flying to the US from China as well to travellers arriving through popular third-country gateways like Seoul, Toronto, and Vancouver, the report added. 


ALSO READ: Twitter Down For Thousands Of Users, Notifications Not Working


Passengers who test positive more than 10 days before their flight can provide documentation of their recovery in lieu of a negative test result.


Earlier Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also said that the country will require a negative Covid-19 test result upon arrival for travellers from mainland China. Travellers who test positive will be required to quarantine for seven days, Kishida told reporters, adding that the new border measures for China will go into effect from midnight on Dec. 30.


The government will also limit requests from airlines to increase flights to China, he said.


India also required travellers from China, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, and Thailand to show proof of a negative Covid-19 test on arrival to India and quarantine if they test positive.


ALSO READ: Doha-Jakarta Qatar Airways Flight Diverted To Mumbai Due To Technical Snag


As per a PTI report, the government is likely to make it mandatory for passengers arriving from China and five other places to have negative RT-PCR reports from next week. 


Filling up of 'air suvidha' forms and 72-hour prior RT-PCR testing may be made mandatory from next week for international passengers coming from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand and Singapore, the report stated.