China Eases Quarantine Requirements for Those Arriving From Abroad

China announced that it is easing quarantine requirements for those entering the country from abroad. The country did not, however, lift its stringent COVID-19 policies.

Those traveling to China will have to stay in a quarantine hotel for seven days, followed by three days of home quarantine, according to a report in the Associated Press.

Previously, the hotel quarantine was 14 days plus seven days at home. Some cities such as Beijing had already lowered the number of days in hotel quarantine from seven or 10 days.

The quarantine requirement is part of China's "zero-COVID" strategy, aiming to keep the virus out of the country and stop the spread through lockdowns and mass testing.

A spokesperson for China's National Health Commission, Mi Feng, told the AP that the new plan is not a relaxation of the country's approach but an optimization to make it more scientific and precise.

Recent outbreaks in China have eased with just 100 new cases reported in the country during the week of June 27, 2022.

Attractions are beginning to reopen. Shanghai Disney said that it would reopen on June 30, and Beijing's Universal Studios reopened last week.