On Friday (11th November 2022) the Chinese government announced that it was reducing some of its Covid-19 restrictions, including changes to both inbound travel controls and domestic Covid control policies.

The changes, decided at a meeting of the Politburo Standing Committee – the country’s top leadership body – include a reduction of quarantine periods from “7+3” (7 days of quarantine at a centralised location plus 3 days of home quarantine) to “5+3”. This policy will apply to both inbound international travellers and close contacts of people testing positive for Covid-19.

The new rules also cancel China’s “circuit breaker” which automatically suspended international flight routes bringing in passengers who subsequently tested positive for Covid. This rule had made travel to the country less reliable and contributed to limited seats and high ticket prices.

Other changes include changing the number of pre-departure Covid tests required for incoming passengers to one rather than two, and clarifying that inbound passengers should not be quarantined a second time after travelling from their first period of quarantine to their destination in a different part of China. China’s contact tracing system will also be modified and secondary contacts who have not made direct contact with people testing positive for the virus will no longer be quarantined.

A summary of the changes is below.

Domestic

International

  • Quarantine period for close contacts of people testing positive reduced (from “7+3” to “5+3”)
  • Quarantine period for inbound travellers reduced (from “7+3” to “5+3”)
  • Secondary contacts (contacts of contacts) of people testing positive will not be traced or quarantined
  • Pre-departure COVID test requirement reduced (from twice to one in 48 hours)
  • Modify risk area categories (from high, medium, and low to high and low)
  • Abolish “circuit breaker” international flight suspension policy

 

 

Significance of the changes:

China is the last major economy to adhere to a Zero Covid policy, but this policy has faced increasing challenges this year particularly after the prolonged lockdown in Shanghai and elsewhere in China. The new rules are designed to maintain Covid protocols while reducing economic and social disruptions.

Despite the policy changes, airports across the country saw widespread flight cancellation in response to the spread of the virus in Guangzhou and Beijing and several other cities which indicates the system overall is still quite strict.

What does it mean for UK sector?

The changes to China’s quarantine policy will make travel to China more convenient to some extent, while the end of the “circuit breaker” flight suspension policy may help to make travel to the country more reliable. However, many of China’s restrictions remain in place and UK HEIs should monitor the policy closely before making any travel plans.

In the longer term, the fact that the easing comes at a time when Covid cases nationwide have surged to a six-month high, with major outbreaks in Guangzhou and Beijing, raises hopes that the country may be pivoting away from its Zero Covid strategy and that policies could be further loosened in the future.

Sources:

China shortens quarantines as it eases some of its COVID rules. Reuters.

https://www.reuters.com/world/china/chinas-covid-curbs-intensify-cases-surge-highest-since-shanghai-lockdown-2022-11-11/

Standing Committee of Political Bureau of CPC Central Committee discusses optimizing COVID-19 response. Xinhua New Agency.

https://english.news.cn/20221110/bbafa428411e4938a3cd0a29fffad844/c.html