China to end Covid quarantine for travellers in January

BBC quoting Chinese officials reported that China will scrap quarantine for travellers from 8 January, marking the last major shift from the country’s zero-Covid policy.

After three years of closed borders, this will effectively reopen the country to those with work and study visas, or seeking to visit family.

China is the last major economy in the world to move to “living with Covid” after three years of lockdowns, closed borders and mandatory quarantine for Covid cases and contacts.

But the decision comes as China struggles with the virus’ ferocious spread in the wake of restrictions being lifted.

Reports says hospitals are overwhelmed and elderly people are dying but the true toll  of daily case counts and deaths – is currently unknown because Chinese officials have stopped releasing Covid data.

Beijing had reported about 4,000 new Covid infections each day last week and a few deaths and on Sunday it said it would stop publishing case numbers altogether.