Chinese airlines are ramping up flights to Australia as Covid restrictions ease, boosting the prospects for a rapid rebound in travel between the two nations. Airports said the market was dynamic with carriers large and small restarting routes dormant during the pandemic years, with more flights likely to be added as demand picks up. Lengthy quarantine requirements for travellers to China since 2020 saw passenger flights largely stopped between Australian cities and mainland China. Melbourne, for instance, went from about 70 flights a week to just one while routes between…
Tag: Coronavirus
‘Life is moving forward’: China enters new phase in Covid fight as borders open
China was braced for a “new phase” in its battle against Covid-19, while financial markets strengthened, after Beijing dropped pandemic border controls in the latest easing of restrictions. The relaxing of the country’s borders on Sunday was one of the last steps in the dismantling of China’s zero-Covid regime, which began last month after historic protests against three years of pandemic rules. While Beijing’s move to drop quarantine requirements is expected to boost outbound travel, many nations are demanding negative tests from visitors from China, seeking to contain an outbreak…
China drops quarantine for visitors as lunar new year travel kicks off amid Covid surge
China has lifted quarantine requirements for inbound travellers, ending almost three years of self-imposed isolation even as the country battles a surge in Covid cases. Beijing last month began a dramatic dismantling of a hardline virus strategy that had enforced mandatory quarantines and gruelling lockdowns. The containment policy has tanked China’s economy and sparked nationwide protests. In the final unravelling of those rules, from Sunday inbound travellers to China are no longer required to quarantine. Since March 2020, all arrivals had been forced to undergo isolation at centralised government facilities.…
Reasons for pre-flight tests on China are now clear but home Covid strategies remain murky | Paul Karp
When is imposing a pre-flight Covid test requirement on travellers from China against medical advice not a breach of a commitment to follow that advice? When it’s done out of an “abundance of caution”, enough other countries are doing it and it might help squeeze China for more information about its Covid outbreak, apparently. Those were the explanations the health minister, Mark Butler, offered throughout the week. Although the requirement itself for a negative Covid test in the 48 hours prior to departure may not be onerous, it was still…
China Covid: wave of celebrity deaths sparks doubt over actual toll
A spate of deaths among celebrities and public figures across China has sparked concerns that the actual death toll from Covid-19 may be far higher than authorities are reporting. Many on Chinese social media have been mourning the death of actor Gong Jintang, who died aged 83 on New Year’s Day. He was known for his portrayal of Father Kang in the sitcom Kang’s Family, which first aired in 2000. Gong, who had been a household name for years in China, had his death reported by local media, but the…
Anxious lunar new year period in China as millions travel while Covid spreads
Dora Wang* longs to see her family over lunar new year, but despite the recent scrapping of Covid travel restrictions across China she has decided against travelling the 286 miles (461km) from Beijing to her home city, Dalian, in the north-east. “I am really worried because the train stations will be packed,” said the 31-year-old illustrator, who is five months pregnant. Not having been vaccinated, the expectant mother is concerned that she might catch Covid during the long journey. “Even though my parents have recovered from Covid, there are now…
China isn’t following the science in dealing with its Covid outbreak | Letters
There has been a desire around the world to shield political decisions with science, so I understand the basic logic of the remarks by the Chinese ambassador to the UK (In China, here is what we want the west to know about our Covid response, 30 December). Politics is about the allocation of resources, however, and science always has to operate within a political framework, so it is not the case that decisions have been made on a scientific basis only. That said, from a strictly public health point of…
Australian health minister suggests pre-flight China tests designed to make Beijing share more data on Covid outbreak
Australia’s health minister says he wants pre-flight Covid testing for travellers from China to be “temporary”, suggesting the requirement could be lifted if Beijing shares more information about its outbreak. Mark Butler suggested on Thursday – the first day of the new testing regime – that the measure was put in place as part of an international push for China to provide real-time data on the genomic sequencing of Covid cases. The Australian government’s response drew criticism from the Coalition opposition for departing from health advice, while China’s warning of…
China data ‘under-represents’ true impact of Covid outbreak – WHO
The World Health Organisation has criticised China’s “very narrow” definition of Covid-19 deaths, warning that official statistics are not showing the true impact of the outbreak. There is growing concern over the steep rise in Covid infections since Beijing last month abruptly lifted years of hardline restrictions, with hospitals and crematoriums quickly overwhelmed. “We still do not have complete data,” WHO’s emergencies director, Michael Ryan, said. The UN agency released data provided by the Chinese Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a day after WHO officials met Chinese scientists.…
EU to require travellers from China to take pre-departure Covid tests
The European Union is expected to require all travellers from China to take pre-departure Covid tests in response to surging levels of the virus, after Beijing hastily abandoned strict controls. France, Italy and Spain already require pre-departure tests on travellers from China and have been urging other EU member states to follow suit. EU officials meeting later on Wednesday in the “integrated political crisis response” format are expected to issue a recommendation of mandatory testing, despite warnings from Beijing of retaliation. “The overwhelming majority of countries are in favour of…