SIA is bringing the COVID-19 virus from China to Singapore

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Australia, Canada to start Covid-19 testing for travellers from China, HK​

The temporary measure has been put in place because of a “lack of comprehensive information” about the situation in China. PHOTO: AFP

Jan 1, 2023

SYDNEY – Australia said travellers departing from China, Hong Kong and Macau will require a negative Covid-19 test before boarding flights to the country.
The temporary measure, which will start on Jan 5, has been put in place because of a “lack of comprehensive information” about the situation in China, said Health Minister Mark Butler on Sunday.
“The decision to implement these temporary measures has been made out of an abundance of caution, taking into account the dynamic and evolving situation in China, and the potential for new variants to emerge in an environment of high transmission,” the minister said in a statement. Tests will need to be taken in the 48 hours prior to travel.
The government is also considering additional measures including testing wastewater from airplanes and voluntary sampling at airports for arrivals, Mr Butler told a news conference.
“I want to stress that the government welcomes the resumption of travel between Australia and China... I also want to stress that this is a temporary measure, reflecting the lack of comprehensive information right now about the situation in China,” he said.
There is a growing list of countries testing passengers and sequencing samples from people arriving from China in an effort to identify any dangerous new mutations that could spread rapidly through their populations. They include the United States, Japan, Britain and France.
Canada joined that list on Saturday, and will require travellers arriving from China, Hong Kong and Macau from Jan 5 to provide evidence of a negative Covid-19 test result – taken no more than two days before their departure – to airlines prior to boarding.

The move is taken in response to the surge of Covid-19 cases in China and “the limited epidemiological and viral genomic sequence data available on these cases”, the government said in a statement, adding that the measure will be assessed after 30 days as more data and evidence becomes available. BLOOMBERG

 

[aerobwala]

In Shanghai, crates of urns with ashes awaiting for collection.

 

[tobelightlight]

Covid-19 mutation risk drives rush to test travellers from China

They trust that freaking test?

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

France urges EU peers to test Chinese travellers for COVID​

Passengers line up at the check-in counter at the Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing on Jan 1, 2023. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

Jan 1, 2023

PARIS - France on Sunday urged European Union peers to test Chinese travellers for Covid-19 after Paris decided to do so amid an outbreak sweeping the country.
Only Italy and Spain also require tests in the 27-nation, largely border-free EU, and health officials from across the bloc failed last week to agree on a joint course.
More talks will follow this week.
From Sunday, France is requiring that travellers from China provide a negative Covid-19 test result less than 48 hours before departure, and will randomly test those arriving.
“France will push for this methodology to be applied across the EU,” Health Minister François Braun said as he and Transport Minister Clement Beaune checked on the new procedures at Paris’ Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport.
Asked about the fact that a Chinese traveller with Covid-19 could for the time being land in another EU country and then travel unchecked to France, Mr Beaune said: “This is why we must coordinate (across the EU), to be more efficient.”
Having kept its borders all but shut for three years, imposing a strict regime of lockdowns and relentless testing, Beijing abruptly reversed course toward living with the virus on Dec 7, and infections have spread rapidly in recent weeks. REUTERS

 

[Pinkieslut]

Many new ATBs cumming here to integrate with Sinkies!

 

[Hypocrite-The]

Kangaroo land is putting in place Wuhan virus test...but somehow I think it's just for show to placate the populace...but still better than singkieland which is letting all tiongs in

 

[batman1]

Xi only primary 6,how can he handle the covid pandemic ?

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Covid-19 variants in China also detected in Malaysia​

The health ministry is urging the public to get a vaccine booster shot as soon as possible. PHOTO: REUTERS

Jan 3, 2022

PETALING JAYA – Covid-19 variants and sub-variants found in China have been detected in Malaysia, said Malaysia’s Health Minister Zaliha Mustafa.
This is based on information from the World Health Organisation (WHO), she said, without specifying which variants while urging the public to get a vaccine booster shot as soon as possible.
“The ministry is in close communication with the WHO, China and our peers from Asean. Based on reports, the WHO had a meeting with China on sharing the latest data and will continue to obtain detailed information, (updates) on the situation and Covid-19 management in the country,” Dr Zaliha said.
“Based on the report by China to WHO, the variants and sub-variants found in China have also been detected in Malaysia.”
The WHO had a high-level meeting with China on Dec 30, and the United Nations agency said after the meeting that it had requested regular sharing of specific and real-time data on the epidemiological situation.
Multiple reports have attributed the surge of infections in China to the sub-variant of Omicron named BF.7.


This included more genetic sequencing data, data on disease impact including hospitalisations, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions and deaths as well as vaccinations delivered and vaccination status, especially in vulnerable people and those over 60.

Dr Zaliha urged those who have exceeded a six-month period since their first booster shot to get a second dose without waiting for the bivalent vaccine to be available.
Citing existing data, she said the monovalent Covid-19 vaccines offered effective protection in preventing serious symptoms and fatalities. The vaccines also reduce hospitalisation rates, she added.
“The bivalent vaccines will be supplied soon, as the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) has already given conditional approval,” she said, adding that an announcement will be made on recipients’ eligibility after the supplies arrive.

The conditional approval for the bivalent vaccine was given on Dec 14, and supplies are expected to arrive in early 2023.
Bivalent vaccines provide protection against the original Sars-CoV-2 virus and the Omicron sub-variants such as BA.4 and BA.5, which were previously said to be vaccine-resistant.
She hoped that the uptake for booster shots would continue to rise especially among high-risk individuals, with 49.8 per cent of Malaysians receiving their first booster dose and 1.9 per cent their second.
She also advised the public to observe precautionary measures and safety measures as well as to practice TRIIS (trace, report, isolate, inform and seek treatment).
Dr Zaliha said the ministry was also weighing public considerations on the surge of infections in China and restrictions imposed by other nations on travellers from that country.

Adding that the matter is a priority for the ministry, she said preventive measures and preparations to face any potential surge of Covid-19 cases would be stepped up.
She said that if necessary, the measures could be expanded to travellers from other countries as well, not just from China.
Several countries such as Japan, India, the United States, Italy and Taiwan are among those which have imposed mandatory Covid-19 testing for travellers arriving from China.
The surge in cases and the lack of reliable official data on the spread of Covid-19 in China has become a concern ahead of anticipated tourist and business travel arrivals from the country. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Up to 70% of Shanghai’s population infected with Covid-19: Top doctor​

The Omicron variant is spreading rampantly across Shanghai and experts predict infections there will peak in early 2023. PHOTO: AFP

Jan 5, 2023

SHANGHAI - A senior doctor at one of Shanghai’s top hospitals has said 70 per cent of the megacity’s population may have been infected with Covid-19 during China’s huge surge in cases, state media reported on Tuesday.
The steep rise in infections came after three years of hardline restrictions were abruptly loosened last month with little warning or preparation, and quickly overwhelmed hospitals and crematoriums.
Dr Chen Erzhen, vice-president at Ruijin Hospital and a member of Shanghai’s Covid-19 expert advisory panel, estimated that the majority of the city’s 25 million people may have been infected.
“Now the spread of the epidemic in Shanghai is very wide, and it may have reached 70 per cent of the population, which is 20 to 30 times more than (in April and May),” he told Dajiangdong Studio, owned by the Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily.
Shanghai suffered a gruelling two-month lockdown from April, during which over 600,000 residents were infected and many were hauled to mass quarantine centres.
But now the Omicron variant is spreading rampantly across the city.
In other major cities, including Beijing, Tianjin, Chongqing and Guangzhou, Chinese health officials have suggested that the wave has already peaked.
In neighbouring Zhejiang province, disease control authorities said on Tuesday that there had been one million new infections in recent days and that the province was entering a peak plateau for Covid-19.
Dr Chen added that his Shanghai hospital was seeing 1,600 emergency admissions daily – double the number prior to restrictions being lifted – with 80 per cent of them Covid-19 patients.
“More than 100 ambulances arrive at the hospital every day,” he was quoted as saying, adding that around half of emergency admissions were vulnerable people aged over 65.


At Tongren Hospital in downtown Shanghai, AFP reporters saw patients receiving emergency medical attention outside the entrance of the overcrowded emergency ward on Tuesday.
The corridors overflowed with dozens of elderly patients lying on beds crammed together, hooked up to IV drips. Some patients wore oxygen masks attached to bedside canisters.

‘Enormous challenge’​

Chinese officials are readying for a virus wave to hit China’s under-resourced rural interior, as millions of people prepare to travel back to their home towns for the week-long Chinese New Year public holiday beginning on Jan 21.
In an interview with state broadcaster CCTV on Monday, National Health Commission (NHC) official Jiao Yahui admitted that dealing with the expected peak in rural areas would be an “enormous challenge”.
“What we are most worried about is in the past three years, nobody has returned home for Chinese New Year but they finally can this year,” said Ms Jiao.
“As a result, there may be a retaliatory surge of urban residents into the countryside to visit their relatives, so we are even more worried about the rural epidemic.”

She also acknowledged pressure on hospital emergency departments and promised that the authorities would coordinate medical resources to ensure treatment of patients in underfunded areas.
Meanwhile, around a dozen countries have imposed Covid-19 testing restrictions on passengers from China after Beijing announced its borders would reopen from Jan 8.
Countries including the United States have also cited Beijing’s lack of transparency around infection data and the risk of new variants as a reason to restrict travellers.
China has recorded only 22 Covid-19 deaths since December and has dramatically narrowed the criteria for classifying such deaths.
But Ms Jiao told reporters on Thursday that China had always published data “on Covid-19 deaths and severe cases in the spirit of openness and transparency”.
“China has always been committed to the scientific criteria for judging Covid-19 deaths, from beginning to end, which are in line with the international criteria,” Ms Jiao said. AFP

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

'Majority' of EU wants tests on passengers from China​

The European Union fears a sudden influx of passengers from China could bring Covid-19 variants that may be able to evade current vaccines. PHOTO: REUTERS

Jan 4, 2023

BRUSSELS - An “overwhelming majority” of the EU’s 27 member countries want passengers coming from China to be systematically tested for Covid-19 before departure, the European Commission said on Tuesday.
The consensus recommendation emerged from a meeting of EU health ministry officials held Tuesday in Brussels.
A crisis meeting to be held on Wednesday on the issue will decide what coordinated measures will be applied across the bloc.
The gatherings were called in the wake of China deciding to lift its “zero-Covid” policy, which has sparked massive demand for flights to other parts of the world by Chinese citizens and residents who had been grounded for nearly three years.
The European Union fears a sudden influx of passengers from China could bring Covid-19 variants that may be able to evade current vaccines.
There are also concerns that China’s data on infections is incomplete, partial and insufficient.
“The overwhelming majority of countries are in favour of pre-departure testing,” a commission spokesman said after Tuesday’s meeting.

EU health commissioner Stella Kyriakides said the officials also agreed to recommend stepped-up monitoring of wastewater from flights and at airports to detect traces of Covid-19, and for member states to boost surveillance.
She emphasised the need for EU “unity” at the meeting to take place on Wednesday.
Several EU countries including France, Spain and Italy have already imposed testing requirements on arrivals from China pending a bloc-wide approach.
Beijing has reacted angrily to the increased restrictions, which are also being applied by the United States, Japan and Australia.
China has only recorded 22 Covid-19 deaths since December and has dramatically narrowed the criteria for classifying such deaths – meaning that Beijing’s own statistics about the unprecedented wave are now widely seen as not reflecting reality.
Data compiled by the World Health Organisation, upon which the EU relies, shows no fresh Covid-19 figures from China for over a week.

Earlier on Tuesday, the commission said an “offer stands” for the EU to provide Covid-19 vaccines and expertise to China.
A spokesman said Ms Kyriakides had repeated the vaccine offer recently and that any supply of them was dependent on Beijing’s reaction.
Many EU countries have a surplus of mRNA vaccines – especially the one made by BioNTech/Pfizer – that scientific studies have shown to be more effective against severe Covid-19 than the inactivated-virus ones China has developed and uses. AFP

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Austria to monitor wastewater of flights from China​

Austria will also monitor wastewater in cities that are top Chinese tourist attractions. PHOTO: REUTERS

Jan 4, 2023

VIENNA - Austria will start monitoring wastewater from aircraft from China and in top Chinese tourist attractions as Europe mulls restrictions for those from the Covid-19 hit country, the government said on Tuesday.
As Beijing has decided to lift its “zero Covid” policy, the European Union fears a sudden influx of passengers from China could bring Covid-19 variants that may be able to evade current vaccines.
“Starting next week, Austria will examine samples from the wastewater from aircraft from China,” Austria’s health ministry said in a statement.
It added wastewater from the sewage plant of the picturesque village of Hallstatt – a top Chinese tourist destination – would also be analysed.
This is in addition to wastewater in the cities of Vienna and Salzburg, which is already being monitored as part of a national programme launched at the beginning of last year.
“With this, some places frequently visited by tourists from China are regularly examined,” the ministry said.
“This makes it possible to discover new virus variants, even if visitors from China have not entered the country with direct flights.”

The European Commission said on Tuesday that an “overwhelming majority” of the EU’s 27 member countries want passengers coming from China to be systematically tested for Covid-19 before departure.
The consensus recommendation emerged from a meeting of EU health ministry officials held Tuesday in Brussels.
A crisis meeting to be held on Wednesday on the issue will decide what coordinated measures will be applied across the bloc.
EU health commissioner Stella Kyriakides said the officials also agreed to recommend stepped-up monitoring of wastewater from flights and at airports to detect traces of Covid-19, and for member states to boost surveillance. AFP

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Australia defends Covid-19 tests for China arrivals​

From Thursday, travellers from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau will need to test negative no more than 48 hours before departing for Australia. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

Jan 4, 2023

SYDNEY - Australia’s government on Wednesday criticised Beijing’s lack of Covid-19 transparency, after overruling its chief medical officer and ramping up testing for travellers from China.
A growing list of countries – including the United States, Britain, France and Japan – have recently slapped China with more stringent travel testing requirements.
China, battling a surge in cases after relaxing its “zero-Covid” policy, has denounced the measures as “unacceptable” while threatening to retaliate.
From Thursday, travellers from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau will need to test negative no more than 48 hours before departing for Australia.
Australia’s chief medical officer Paul Kelly advised the government against the requirement, writing in a government briefing that it lacked “sufficient public health rationale”.
“There is strong consensus that implementation of any restrictions to travel from China at this time would be inconsistent with the current national approach to the management of COVID-19 and disproportionate to the risk,” he wrote.
But Treasurer Jim Chalmers on Wednesday said the government was acting “out of an abundance of caution”.
“It’s about a part of the world where we have concerns about transparency,” he told national broadcaster ABC.
Asked if the restrictions were politically motivated, Mr Chalmers said he didn’t “see it precisely like that”.
“There certainly is a lot of concern around the global health community about the transparency and quality of data that we see out of China on Covid.”
Data compiled by the World Health Organisation shows no fresh Covid-19 figures from China for more than a week.
Australia’s previous conservative government angered China in 2020 by pushing for an international investigation into the origins of the pandemic, first reported in the Chinese city of Wuhan.
The new centre-left government has spent the past few months trying to reset its relationship with Beijing. AFP

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Japan to tighten Covid-19 border controls for travellers from China​

Japan will continue to ask airlines to limit additional flights from China, said Japanese PM Fumio Kishida. PHOTO: REUTERS

Jan 4, 2023


TOKYO - Japan will toughen from Sunday its Covid-19 border control measures for travellers from China, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said, in response to a surge of infections among such visitors.
Additional measures will require negative coronavirus tests before passengers board direct flights from China, Mr Kishida said on Wednesday, stepping up measures adopted on Dec 30.
Japan will continue to ask airlines to limit additional flights from China, he told a nationally televised New Year news conference.
“Necessary restrictions are still put in place as we are taking all possible measures to prevent infections,” Mr Kishida added.
The decision followed results of Covid-19 tests on travellers from China in recent days and similar measures by other countries, he said.
A Japanese health ministry tally shows 53 of 56 international travellers who tested positive for Covid-19 on arrival at airports on Tuesday were from China.
That compared with Monday’s figure, when all 26 visitors with positive test results were from China.
Most European Union nations favour pre-departure testing for travellers from China, the European Commission said on Tuesday.
Beijing has described as “discriminatory” such curbs, also imposed by South Korea and the United States, among others.
Separately, Japan’s foreign ministry said direct flights from Hong Kong and Macau would be allowed to land at airports other than Narita and Haneda near Tokyo, Kansai near Osaka and Chubu near Nagoya, easing curbs ordered last week.
Airlines must still hold down additional flights from Hong Kong and the gambling hub of Macau even after the list of destination airports widens on Sunday, the ministry added. REUTERS

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Thailand mandates Covid-19 insurance for visitors from some nations​

The insurance rule will ensure that visitors who test positive for the virus will be able to afford treatment in Thailand before leaving the country. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG

JAN 5, 2023

BANGKOK - Thailand is mandating Covid-19 insurance for foreign visitors from countries that require negative RT-PCR test results before returning home, reinstating the entry rule ahead of the likely arrival of Chinese tourists in large numbers.
The insurance rule will ensure that visitors who test positive for the virus will be able to afford treatment in Thailand before leaving the country, Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters after a meeting on Thursday with health and tourism authorities.
Thailand had scrapped all Covid-related entry restrictions last year, including the requirements for insurance and proof of vaccinations.
South-east Asia’s second-largest economy drew about 11.5 million foreign visitors last year, compared with 40 million before the pandemic in 2019 - when nearly a quarter were from China.
Although the reinstatement of the insurance policy is narrow, Thailand joins a host of nations including Japan, Canada and France in tightening rules since Beijing announced border easing.
Thailand expects 300,000 Chinese visitors in the first quarter of this year, Mr Anutin said on Wednesday.
Mr Anutin said Thailand isn’t imposing any entry rules targeting specific nations, but only seeks to introduce safety measures that correspond with the rules in place in peoples’ home countries.

While China requires a 48-hour negative PCR test result for all incoming travellers, India has imposed a similar mandate for visitors from five countries, including Thailand and China.
The insurance requirement, effective next week, comes as China is rapidly dismantling its zero-tolerance policies, reopening the country to the world and scrapping quarantine for arrivals from Jan 8.
The world’s most-populous nation, seeking to revive its economy, will gradually reopen border checkpoints with Hong Kong from Sunday.
The Thai government will offer booster vaccines for foreign tourists at hospitals across the country at a cost, Mr Anutin said.
Thais are advised to be vaccinated with four doses and urged to wear masks in “risky” areas, he said.
Visitors to Thailand won’t be required to produce proof of vaccination at this time, said Mr Tanes Petsuwan, a deputy governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
The government last week increased its target for foreign visitors in 2023 to 25 million, with China easing rules on outbound travel being one factor. BLOOMBERG

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Germany to require Covid-19 test for China arrivals​

Passengers arriving from China will be required to present at least a rapid antigen test to enter Germany. PHOTO: REUTERS


JAN 5, 2023

BERLIN - Germany said on Thursday it would ask arrivals from China for a negative coronavirus test as infections rose steeply following Beijing’s decision to lift strict restrictions.
Germany would change its entry requirements at “short notice”, following a recommendation by European Union experts to tighten travel rules, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said in a statement.
Member states agreed on Wednesday to recommend a “precautionary approach” amid fears that unmonitored arrivals from China could introduce a new variant or subvariant of the coronavirus in Europe capable of evading existing vaccines.
Mr Lauterbach welcomed the EU’s “common answer” to the rising number of cases in China.
Passengers arriving from China will be required to present “at least a rapid antigen test” to enter Germany, Lauterbach said, without giving a specific date.
Germany would also carry out “spot checks to identify virus variants” and “waste water tests” for journeys from China, he said.
Within the European Union, Italy and Spain have already imposed Covid test requirements for arrivals from China.

From Thursday, France also required passengers travelling from China to present a negative test result. AFP

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

'More the merrier': Asia tourist hubs ready for China influx​

Nearly 9.6 million Chinese visited Japan in 2019, the biggest group of foreign tourists by far. PHOTO: AFP

Jan 6, 2023

TOKYO - In Tokyo’s Asakusa tourist district, caricaturist Masashi Higashitani is dusting off his Chinese as he prepares for an influx of travellers after Beijing ends inbound quarantine rules.
“We used to say ‘ni hao’ all the time,” he said with a laugh as he whipped up a portrait in minutes.
Nearly 9.6 million Chinese visited Japan in 2019, the biggest group of foreign tourists by far and a massive leap from the 450,000 who came in 2003.
Mr Higashitani estimates around 20 per cent of his customers were from China before the pandemic, and he and his employees picked up Chinese phrases from those visitors and each other.
He had to downsize and let staff go during the pandemic, so he is thrilled about the expected wave of arrivals, even though he admits some apprehension too.
“I wonder if an influx of too many of them might overwhelm our capacity. I’m also worried that we need to be more careful about anti-virus measures,” he told AFP.
Travellers arriving back in China will no longer need to quarantine from Sunday, removing one of the main barriers to travel for the country’s population.

The move, announced in late December, sparked a frenzy of trip planning, with searches spiking for Macau, Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand and South Korea.
Chinese tourists also made up about a third of all pre-pandemic foreign visitors to South Korea and were among the top three groups visiting Thailand and Indonesia.

‘Not the time’​

At a crepe stand in Seoul, Mr Son Kyung-rak said he was already making plans to deal with a flood of tourists from China.

“We’re looking to hire and preparing to stock up,” the 24-year-old told AFP in Seoul’s popular downtown Myeongdong district.
“Chinese tourists are our main customers, so the more the merrier.”

But authorities in Seoul are more cautious.
The slump in Chinese visitors “has been a blow to our tourism industry”, said Mr Yun Ji-suk, an official from South Korea’s culture ministry.
“But now is not the time to be active in tourism marketing, due to the ongoing Covid situation.”
China’s sudden lifting of pandemic restrictions has led to a massive wave of infections, but Beijing’s refusal to share information means the scale of the surge is unclear.
It has been enough to spook governments around the world, with some countries even banning arrivals from China.
Seoul is capping flights from China, and travellers from the mainland, Hong Kong and Macau will have to test negative before travel. Mainland visitors will also be tested on arrival.
Japan has announced similar rules for China, although Hong Kong and Macau travellers are exempt.

‘Full house’​

Other Asian tourist hubs such as Indonesia have decided not to impose any restrictions.
Two million Chinese tourists visited annually before the pandemic, and restaurant owners on the resort island of Bali are hoping for a rebound.
“Before the pandemic, we had a lot of Chinese customers... At least 100 to 200 customers came daily,” Mr Kadek Sucana, who runs a seafood restaurant in the Jimbaran area, told AFP.
He is hoping for a “full house again... because Chinese tourists come in large groups”.
While Beijing has loosened many of its Covid-19 restrictions, overseas travel by tour groups remains banned.
And there is little sign that the availability of flights will quickly catch up to renewed demand.
As a result, travel destinations throughout Asia are expecting any rebound in Chinese tourists to be slow.

Indonesia is aiming for just over 250,000 Chinese tourists in 2023, a fraction of pre-pandemic figures.
Thailand, which is also not imposing new rules, is hoping for around five million Chinese tourists this year, less than half the number who came in 2019.
Tourism accounted for nearly 20 per cent of Thailand’s national income before the pandemic, with China its largest source of foreign tourists.
“This is an opportunity to restore our economic situation and recover from losses we suffered for nearly three years,” Thai Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul Anutin said on Thursday. AFP

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

With few Covid-19 entry tests, South-east Asia may gain most from China's travel revival​

Thailand already expects to welcome five million Chinese travellers this year, or about half of the 10.99 million of 2019. PHOTO: AFP
J
Jan 6, 2023

SINGAPORE - South-east Asia’s tourist economies are set to be leading beneficiaries of China’s scrapping of travel bans as they have steered clear of the Covid-19 tests before entry that Europe, Japan and the United States have imposed on Chinese visitors.
Even as the virus tears through its 1.4 billion people, the world’s second largest economy is opening its borders from Sunday, a move that promises to unleash a wave of travellers eager for diversion after three years of strict curbs at home.
Such newly mobile Chinese tourists will opt for “minimal hassle” and head for destinations that do not demand testing, which in turn stands to benefit South-east Asia, said CIMB economist Song Seng Wun.
“The busier regional airports are, the better it is for their economies,” he added.
While Australia, Britain, India, Japan and the United States are among the nations that require a negative Covid-19 test from inbound Chinese, South-east Asian countries, from Cambodia to Indonesia and Singapore, have all declined such requirements.
Except for airplane wastewater testing by Malaysia and Thailand for the virus, the region’s 11 nations will treat Chinese travellers like any others.
“We are not taking the stance of discriminating (against) any countries,” said Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Interest in the region waxed high even before news of its lack of test requirements.
As many as 76 per cent of Chinese travel agencies ranked South-east Asia as the top destination when outbound travel resumed, according to a survey released in December by trade show ITB China.

Welcome back​

The region is home to many tourism-reliant economies in which Chinese used to make up the bulk of visitors to beach paradises, luxury malls and casinos that have all been hit hard by their absence in the last few years.

Now, their tourism industries are gearing up to welcome Chinese travellers back.
In 2019, 155 million Chinese travelled abroad, spending US$254.6 billion (S$342 billion), or close to the GDP of Vietnam, said Citi, whose researchers expect “meaningful recovery” in mass tourism to start in the second quarter of 2023.
In Vietnam, almost a third of the 18 million foreign arrivals in 2019 were from China, while about a fifth of Singapore’s international arrivals were Chinese who spent S$900 million.
Thailand already expects to welcome 5 million Chinese travellers this year, or about half of the 10.99 million of 2019. Tourism accounted for nearly 20 per cent of Thailand’s national income before the pandemic, with China its largest source of foreign tourists.
“This is an opportunity to restore our economic situation and recover from losses we suffered for nearly three years,” Thai Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul Anutin said on Thursday.
Neighbouring Malaysia projects 1.5 million to 2 million Chinese tourists this year versus 3 million before the pandemic.
And the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents is preparing for a road show in Chinese cities to woo visitors, said its vice-president Ganeesh Rama.

Few health worries​

Officials have downplayed health worries aired by other countries, such as the United States’ concern over insufficient information and fear that more cases in China could spawn new variants of the virus.
Singapore said it had high population immunity, as about 40 per cent of its people had been infected with coronavirus and 83 per cent had been vaccinated, while it has bolstered healthcare capacity.
Dr Karen Grepin, a public health professor at Hong Kong University, agreed with that approach, adding, “Everyday, countries import thousands of cases of Covid-19 from around the world.”
In Bali, Ms Ida Bagus Agung Parta, the chair of the resort island’s tourism board, said it would “increase our defence”, as workers take a second booster dose of vaccine this month.
“Before the pandemic, we had a lot of Chinese customers... At least 100 to 200 customers came daily,” Mr Kadek Sucana, who runs a seafood restaurant in the Jimbaran area, told AFP. He is hoping for a “full house again... because Chinese tourists come in large groups”.
Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen, an ally of Beijing, described other countries’ testing requirements as “propaganda” designed to “scare people”.
“Whatever other country wants to do anything, it’s their right,” Mr Hun Sen said in a recent speech. “But for Cambodia, it’s an invitation to Chinese people: Chinese tourists, come to Cambodia.” REUTERS, AFP

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

China on alert for new Covid-19 variant as borders reopen ahead of Spring Festival​

China is set to reopen its borders after reversing its zero-Covid policy in December. PHOTO: REUTERS

Jan 8, 2023

BEIJING – China will monitor travellers at some of its border crossings for signs of infection from a new Covid-19 variant ahead of “chun yun”, the 40-day period of Chinese New Year travel known as the world’s largest human migration.
A selected group of cities and harbours have been asked to send test samples of infected travellers for genome sequencing at the National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, according to an updated Covid-19 control plan released on Saturday.
China, which is going through a major wave of infections after dismantling its stringent zero-Covid policy in recent weeks, has yet to report any domestic cases of XBB.1.5, a descendant of the Omicron XBB subvariant that has now become the dominant strain in the United States.
But health agencies across the world, including the World Health Organisation, have raised concern that China has not been providing enough genome-sequencing information to come to any definitive conclusions.
China is set to reopen its borders after reversing its zero-Covid policy in December. The government has reduced quarantine for travellers, who under new guidelines can enter with a negative Covid-19 test result taken within 48 hours of departure.
China has yet to set a timeline for ending the pre-travel testing requirement.
It will urge customs officials to test goods being exported to ease concerns of transmissions through international shipments, healthcare official Liang Wannian told ambassadors and diplomats from 130 countries at a Friday briefing.

The Ministry of Transport announced on Saturday that it will allow crews of international voyage ships to change shifts at ports or land with no need for pre-approval from Jan 8. It will also scrap Covid-19 testing and centralised quarantine requirements upon arrival.
China’s total confirmed death toll from Covid-19 rose to almost 17,500, but there are concerns that the numbers are under-reported after the government adopted a much narrower definition for deaths from the virus.
The National Health Commission reiterated on Saturday that it will urge local governments to refrain from taking extreme lockdown measures over Covid-19, but mobility curbs can be reimposed to prevent massive outbreaks.
Local governments can order their schools to go online, impose work-from-home rules, cancel unnecessary public events and close entertainment venues in cases of emergency.
The commission pledged increased efforts to monitor conditions in care homes to protect the more vulnerable elderly residents. People aged 60 and above are encouraged to get second booster vaccinations.

At a Saturday media briefing, health officials stressed the need to step up Covid-19 prevention and treatment in rural areas as the Spring Festival approaches.
Mr Mi Feng, a spokesman for the NHC, pledged to boost support for hospitals in rural areas and accelerate vaccination among the elderly in villages.
Almost 99 per cent of township hospitals and health centres in local communities have set up fever clinics now, Mr Nie Chunlei, an NHC official, said.
The authorities have formed a group to coordinate nationwide medical supplies, he said, adding priority will be given to ensure rural hospitals have enough medicine. BLOOMBERG

 

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Thailand brings back Covid-19 entry rules for all international travellers​

Adults must show proof of at least two vaccinations, or recovery from the virus since July. PHOTO: REUTERS

Jan 8, 2023


BANGKOK – Thailand will reintroduce Covid-19 entry requirements for foreigners flying into the country from Monday, the nation’s transport minister said, as the South-east Asian nation prepares for an expected wave of tourists from China.
The Thai Public Health Ministry has been looking into ways to safely welcome Chinese tourists.
To prevent one nationality from being targeted, the ministry resolved that all foreign arrivals will have to prove they have been vaccinated.
Adults must show proof of at least two vaccinations, or recovery from the virus since July, according to comments from Saksayam Chidchob published on the minister’s political party’s Website.
Unvaccinated visitors will need a medical report justifying their lack of inoculations, a Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand statement posted on site said. The rules apply until Jan 31.
Additionally, visitors from countries that require Covid-19 tests for arrivals from Thailand must have health insurance during their stay, the statement said.
The civil aviation authority also released a list of 16 Covid-19 vaccines that are accepted for entering Thailand as of Jan 6.
They include one dose of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine, two doses of AstraZeneca, two doses of Moderna, two doses of Pfizer or three doses of Anhui Zhifei Logcom.
Among nations that recently reimposed Covid-19 entry rules, India this month began mandatory Covid-19 tests for travellers from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand.
The reintroduction of entry requirements aimed at stemming the spread of Covid-19 comes as China rapidly dismantles its zero-tolerance policies, reopening the country to the world and scrapping quarantine for arrivals from Jan 8.
Thailand expects 300,000 Chinese visitors in the first quarter of this year, after it reached a target of 10 million foreign arrivals last year in a better-than-expected recovery of its vital tourism sector.
Airlines are required to screen visitors’ eligibility to enter Thailand under the reimposed rules.
People suspected of displaying symptoms of Covid-19 will be advised to get tested on arrival.
Passengers transiting to other destinations are exempt, the statement said. BLOOMBERG, THE NATION/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

 

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Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg discourage travel to Covid-hit China​

Patients lie on beds and stretchers in a hallway, in the emergency department of a hospital, in Shanghai, China, on Jan 4, 2023. PHOTO: REUTERS

JAN 8, 2023

BERLIN - Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg on Saturday discouraged non-essential trips to China, the world’s most populous nation, as it struggles with a surge in Covid-19 cases after relaxing strict virus restrictions.
“We currently discourage non-essential trips to China. The reason is a peak in Covid infections and an overwhelmed health system,” the German foreign ministry said on Twitter.
Neighbouring Belgium and Luxembourg were swift to follow suit.
“Luxembourg is aligning itself with the German travel advisory and is currently advising against non-essential travel to China,” the country’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
Belgium’s foreign ministry said on its website that “since December, China has been experiencing its biggest wave of infections due to the end of the zero-Covid policy”.
“In view of the risk of hospital overcrowding and, consequently, the risk of not being able to be treated quickly in the event of an emergency, non-essential travel is not recommended for the time being.”
More than a dozen countries have imposed new travel regulations on travellers from China.

European Union experts this past week “strongly encouraged” the bloc’s 27 member states to demand Covid-19 tests before departure for people on flights from China, and conduct random tests upon arrival.
Several EU nations – including Germany, France, Italy and Spain – have already announced Covid-19 test requirements on travellers coming from the Asian nation.


The United States and Japan are among the non-European countries to have brought in similar measures.
Chinese authorities have recently said the first wave of infections has hit a peak in cities including Beijing and Tianjin.
But the end is far from near, with officials warning of a multi-pronged outbreak in the coming weeks as city workers return to rural hometowns during the winter travel season.
Despite a rebound in infections, Chinese authorities will end mandatory quarantines on arrival in China starting Sunday and allow Chinese people to travel abroad again after three years of restrictions.
On Tuesday, Beijing condemned the imposition of Covid-19 tests by some countries as “unacceptable” and threatened “countermeasures”.
China has drastically narrowed the criteria for classifying such fatalities, meaning that Beijing’s statistics are now widely seen as not reflecting the actual number of cases.
The World Health Organisation on Wednesday criticised China’s “very narrow” definition of Covid-19 deaths, warning that official statistics were not showing the true impact of the outbreak. AFP