US imposes Covid testing for visitors from China

The US has imposed mandatory Covid testing for visitors from China after Beijing announced it would reopen borders next week. Italy, Japan, Taiwan and India have also announced mandatory tests, but Australia and UK said there were no new rules for travellers from China. After three years of being closed to the world, China will allow people travel more freely from 8 January. But the country's ongoing Covid surge has sparked wariness.

China is reporting about



5,000 cases a day, but analysts say such numbers are vastly undercounted - and the daily caseload may be closer to a million. The US said a lack of adequate and transparent Covid data in China had contributed to the decision to require Covid tests from 5 January for travellers entering the country from China, Hong Kong and Macau. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this was needed to help slow the spread of the virus.