It might be the impetus for a global recovery.
At the end of the month, China will no longer require PCR testing for visitors. Starting on April 29, passengers will just need to present a negative quick antigen test result.
A stop to test PCR in China
Despite the fact that China said in January that COVID-related restrictions would no longer be enforced, entering the country nevertheless required visitors to show proof of a negative PCR test. This will no longer be required starting on April 29th, according to information provided by spokeswoman for the foreign ministry Mao Ning on Tuesday at a news conference in Beijing, however visitors will still need to present the results of a COVID antigen test that was performed within 48 hours of departure.Bloomberg cited Mao’s statement as follows:
In view of the changing epidemiological situation, “We will continue to develop science-based prevention and control policies to ensure the safe, healthy, and orderly personnel exchange between China and other nations.”
Airlines won’t be compelled to verify antigen test findings as well, Mao continued. China had earlier this year suspended the PCR requirement for many other countries, including New Zealand and Malaysia, but had reinstated it for a small number of them.
A spike in COVID cases in China around the end of 2022 prompted other nations, notably the US, to mandate testing of Chinese immigrants; as a result, Chinese authorities continued to follow their own testing protocol. By early March, though, this had been lifted as the number of China-related cases had decreased, and it appears that Chinese officials have now finally chosen to reciprocate.
right before the holidays
Starting on April 29th, five days of public holidays will start, and on that day the new rule will take effect. Though domestic travel will predominate during this time, data shows that international travel bookings have increased by more than 12 times since last year, with an increase of 137% in overseas tour groups since the beginning of April.
globally successful
China is still operating at a fraction of its pre-COVID levels in terms of its international capacity because it was one of the last nations in the world to remove the majority of its COVID-related restrictions for incoming travelers. While China’s domestic market is doing much better, recent data from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) shows that international capacity is currently at less than 30% of pre-pandemic levels.As Simple Flying investigated earlier this month, Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) and Shanghai Pudong Airport (PVG), two of the world’s busiest airports, have seen the biggest declines in long-haul seats this month compared to 2019, highlighting how far behind the world economy the country is.
To overcome an expensive and frequently annoying barrier to foreign travel, today’s announcement will surely be helpful. There are still other challenges, such as decreased airplane capacity and a backlog of visas. Chinese capacity will not return to pre-pandemic levels for around a year, according to Subhas Menon, director general of the Association of Asia-Pacific Airlines, who made this prediction in February.
