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☆ Gaza: EU stops short of calling for ceasefire ahead of UN vote as crisis escalates
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Andrew Raine | Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +34 min

Shadi Tabatibi/Reuters Relatives mourn for a family killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on October 21. Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images Palestinians inspect a destroyed area following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza on October 21. Ronen Zvulun/Reuters A woman mourns over a dead man at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Gaza City on October 18. Yousef Masoud/The New York Times A morgue worker arranges body bags at al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City on October 12. Ramez Mahmoud/AP A plume of smoke rises in the sky over Gaza City during an Israeli airstrike on October 9.

Persons: Jordan, –, Ayman Safadi, Khan Younis, Mahmud Hams, Gilad Erdan, ”, Yoav Gallant, ” Gallant, Daniel Hagari, Francisco Seco, Yasser Qudih, Tsafrir, Ali Mohmoud, Lifshitz, Alexi J . Rosenfeld, Mohammed Abed, Violeta Santos Moura, Mai Yaghi, Mohammed Zaanoun, Yam Goldstein, Nadav, Ariel Schalit, Jalaa Marey, Said Khatub, Leon Neal, Hatem Moussa, Nir Oz, Wolfgang Schwan, Yousef Masoud, Shadi Tabatibi, Ali Jadallah, Belal al Sabbagh, Mohammed Saber, Khan, Rizek Abdeljawad, Ahmad Gharabli, Janis Laizans, Abed Khaled, Mohammed Dahman, Gallant, Ofir Libstein, Aza, Ronen Zvulun, Belal Khaled, Abed Rahim Khatib, Hod, Ayal Margolin, Antony Blinken, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Brendan Smialowski, Biden, Netanyahu, Kenny Holston, Kfar Aza, Ilia Yefimovich, Mustafa Hassona, Mahmoud Khaled, Samar Abu, Fatima Shbair, Dor Reder, Shir Torem, Wahaj Bani Moufleh, Antonio Macías, Macías, Eli Albag, Liri, Mohammed Talatene, Sergey Ponomarev, Hatem Ali, Dor Kedmi, Saher, Abraham Cohen, Valentin Ghnassia, Ghnassia, Yuri Cortez, Ibrahim Hams, Bashar Taleb, Baz Ratner, Jack Guez, Yahya Hassouna, Mapal Adam, Abed Zagout, Tamir Kalifa, Agha, Ibraheem Abu Mustafa, Reuters Itzik, Miriam Shafir, Dor Shafir, Savion Kiper, Maya Alleruzzo, Mohammed Salem, CNN Sergey Ponomarev, Eden Guez, Atef Safadi, Ohad, Mohammed Soboh, Said, Noam Elimeleh Rothenberg, Amir Cohen, Ilai Bar Sade, Erik Marmor, Oren Ziv, Majdi, Ramez Mahmoud, Roi Levy, Alleruzzo, Tali Touito, Oded, Ahmad Hasballah, Mohammed Fayq Abu Mostafa, Ilan Rosenberg, Eyad Baba, Itai Ron, Hadas Parush, Joe Biden’s, John Kirby, Mohammad Shtayyeh, ” Shtayyeh, Al Jazeera, ‘, Juliette Touma, ” Touma, Jonathan Conricus, Tamara Alrifai, Alrifai, PRCS Organizations: CNN — European Union, UN, UN Security Council, Jordan’s, United Nations Assembly Hall, Palestinian, Hamas, Palestinian Ministry of Health, United Nations, Israel Defense Forces, Qahera, Getty, Reuters, AP Rescuers, Pictures, Tel Aviv University, AP, New York Times, Reuters Civil, AP Rockets, AP Israel's, Regional, Al, Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, Israel's, Ahli Baptist Hospital, Israeli, Ben Gurion International, Shifa, West Bank, Aris Messinis, Haim, Mount, Mount Herzl Military, Nova, Anadolu Agency, CNN, Nova Festival, Ben Gurion, Rockets, Reuters Police, Reuters Rockets, Gaza Health Ministry, Palestinian Authority, Ministry of Health, Authority, of Health, United Nations Relief, Works Agency, UNRWA, Palestine Red Crescent Society Locations: Gaza, Brussels, Israel, AFP, Tel Aviv, Shaja’iyah, Taba, Egypt, Gaza City, Ichilov, Najjar, Rafah, Kibbutz Shefayim, Israeli, Lebanon, Deir al, Anadolu, Khan Younis, Europe, Zahra City, Xinhua, East Jerusalem, Ras, Israel's, Yehuda, Aqsa, Hod HaSharon, Kiryat Shmona, Al, Ahli, Sderot, Gan, Kfar, North Sinai, Samar, Samar Abu Elouf, Beit Kama, Haifa, Cyprus, Nablus, West, Kfar Saba, Be'eri, Rehovot, Mount Herzl, Jerusalem, Kibbutz Be'eri, Modiin Maccabim, Kfar Aza, Ashkelon, Mount Herzel, Yassin, Palestinian, Beitar Ilit, Ramat Gan, Itai, Beit Hanun, Rishon Lezion, ”, Ramallah, UN, Gaza . Israel, Palestine

☆ New Zealand elects conservative Christopher Luxon as premier after 6 years of liberal rule
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Ivan Tarlton | AFP | Getty ImagesConservative former businessman Christopher Luxon will be New Zealand's next prime minister after winning a decisive election victory Saturday. "But I want you to be proud of what we achieved over the last six years," he told supporters at an event in Wellington. The seat has long been a Labour stronghold and was also held by another former Labour prime minister, Helen Clark. It has been the biggest, safest Labour seat forever," she said. Luxon has promised to axe the Māori Health Authority, which he says creates two separate health systems.

Persons: Christopher Luxon, Ivan Tarlton, Jacinda Ardern, Luxon, Amanda, Olivia, Chris Hipkins, Hipkins, Ardern, Helen Clark, Melissa Lee, It's, Lee, David Farrar, pollster Organizations: National Party, AFP, Getty, Conservative, ACT Party, Labour Party, Ardern, Labour, Mount, Associated Press, Health Authority, Zealand Locations: Zealand, Auckland, Ardern, Wellington, Mount Albert

The message is one more indication of the political and security challenges the U.S.-Mexico border has presented for President Joe Biden. The Biden administration this week took two actions seen by many as moving to the right on immigration. The White House counters that migration has surged across the Western Hemisphere due to regional challenges out of the administration's control. So they are on the streets.”Despite his 2020 promises on the border, Biden has long been more moderate on the issue than some in his party. It hasn’t worked for them before and it won’t work for them this cycle either,” said Pili Tobar, a former senior Biden White House official and Democratic strategist.

Persons: Donald Trump, ” It’s, Sherrod Brown, “ Ohioans, ”, Joe Biden, Biden, Donald Trump’s, Veronica Escobar, ” Biden, Trump, “ MAGA, Donald Trump’s playbook, Kevin Munoz, Trump’s, Eric Adams, implore, “, Escobar, Auri Lugo, Lugo, she's, Barack Obama, hasn’t, Pili Tobar, ___ Weissert, Linley Sanders Organizations: MIAMI, Border Patrol, Sen, Ohio Democrat, Democrat, PAC, White, of Homeland Security, Biden, Congress, “ MAGA Republicans, Trump, Conservative, Democratic, Republican, O’Hare, New York, Marquette Law School, Republicans, Senate, AP VoteCast, Biden White House, Associated Press Locations: U.S, Ohio, Mexico, South Texas, Venezuela, Veronica Escobar of Texas, El Paso, Chicago, New, New York City, VoteCast, Charlotte , North Carolina, Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Colombia, Washington

The Canadian government says it is urgently trying to end the forced sterilization of Indigenous women, describing the practice as a human rights violation and a prosecutable offense. Yet police say they will not pursue a criminal investigation into a recent case in which a doctor apologized for his “unprofessional conduct” in sterilizing an Inuit woman. In July, The Associated Press reported on the case of an Inuit woman in Yellowknife who had surgery in 2019 aimed at relieving her abdominal pain. “This is a pivotal case for Canada because it shows that forced sterilization is still happening,” said Dr. Unjali Malhotra, of the First Nations Health Authority in British Columbia. Political Cartoons View All 1182 ImagesBut the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said they would not be investigating Kotaska, because the woman hasn't filed a criminal complaint.

Persons: Andrew Kotaska, sterilize, ”, Unjali Malhotra, “, ” Kotaska, hasn't, Steven Cooper, Lisa Kelly, ” Kelly, Kelly, ” Sen, Yvonne Boyer, ” Boyer, Kotaska, ” Emma Cunliffe Organizations: Associated Press, First Nations Health Authority, AP, Canadian, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, RCMP, Queen’s University, University of British, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group Locations: sterilizing, Yellowknife, Canada, British Columbia, Ontario, Northwest Territories, University of British Columbia

☆ Macron reshuffles ministers after French riots "stunned" country
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Michel Rose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] French Junior Minister for Public Accounts Gabriel Attal speaks during a debate on the pension reform plan at the National Assembly in Paris, France February 17, 2023. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/File PhotoPARIS, July 20 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday reshuffled his ministers for key domestic portfolios such as education, housing and urban affairs, as his government begins its response to riots that shook the country three weeks ago. Borne, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna and Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin all remained in place. "We're in a spirit of continuity but let's not pretend as if there hasn't been something that stunned the country for a few nights," he told them. Other figures who had caused embarrassment to the government in recent months, including a junior minister who had posed for the cover of Playboy magazine during the pension reform crisis, left the cabinet.

Persons: Gabriel Attal, Sarah Meyssonnier, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Pap, Sabrina Agresti, Aurelien Rousseau, Elisabeth Borne's, Bruno Le Maire, Catherine Colonna, Gerald Darmanin, Borne, Michel Rose, Dominique Vidalon, Sudip Kar, Alison Williams Organizations: French Junior, Public, National Assembly, REUTERS, Finance, Playboy, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Algerian, North, Dunkirk, Borne

☆ Australia ushers in a new era of psychedelic medicine
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Australia may be the first country to regulate the therapeutic use of MDMA and psilocybin, but it isn’t alone in ushering in a new era of psychedelic medicine. In October 2022, Alberta became the first jurisdiction in Canada to regulate the use of psychedelic drugs. Combining psychotherapy with psychedelic drugs is thought to be necessary for a beneficial outcome. He said that psychedelic drugs resulted in “powerful altered states of consciousness that can be intensely therapeutic, but also intensely destabilizing. “If you have a regulated, insured, safe context, and a good psychotherapeutic relationship, and yes, there’s the potential for great benefit there.”However, Rucker stressed that psychedelic drugs were not “a chemical switch to make everything seem fine.

Persons: ”, haven’t, Colleen Loo, Loo, “, Cole Burston, Celia Morgan, Morgan, James Rucker, “ You’re, ” Morgan, ” Rucker, prescriber, Rucker Organizations: CNN, Goods Administration, US Food and Drug Administration, University of New, Black Dog Institute, The Royal, New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, Oregon Health Authority, Getty, University of Exeter, The New England, of Medicine, of Psychiatry, Neuroscience, King’s College London, Therapeutic Goods Locations: Australia, University of New South Wales, Sydney, RANZCP, Alberta, Canada, AFP, United Kingdom, The, psychopharmacology

☆ Americans in most states will no longer receive Covid exposure notifications on phones
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Americans in most states will no longer receive Covid exposure notifications on their smartphones now that the U.S. public health emergency has ended. On Thursday, the organization said "the majority of states" stopped using the exposure notification system after the Biden administration ended the public health emergency on May 11. There is no clear tally of how many Americans activated the exposure notification feature on their phones or downloaded apps over the past three years. Despite these benefits, some Americans have been skeptical of the Covid exposure notification tools. State decisions to end Covid exposure notifications are part of a broader shift in how the country responds to the pandemic.

☆ Biden administration to send 1,500 troops to southern border for support roles ahead of expected migrant surge
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Natasha Bertrand Priscilla Alvarez Haley Britzky | Natasha Bertrand | Priscilla Alvarez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

As they’ve done before, the troops would serve in administrative roles and not perform any law enforcement function, the sources said. “At the request of DHS, DOD will provide a temporary increase of an additional 1,500 military personnel, for 90 days, to supplement CBP efforts at the border. These 1,500 military personnel will fill critical capability gaps, such as ground-based detection and monitoring, data entry, and warehouse support, until CBP can address these needs through contracted support. They will not be doing any law enforcement work,” a US official said in a statement. Austin approved a deployment of 2,500 troops to the border, who remain there now, and the 1,500 troops are expected to join them in the coming days.

☆ Mexico to probe GM corn impact on tortillas amid US trade dispute
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MEXICO CITY, April 10 (Reuters) - Mexican authorities announced Monday a working group will investigate the impact of genetically modified (GM) corn imports on the country's tortillas, a national staple typically made from cornflour, amid a trade dispute with the United States. The United States has requested trade consultations with Mexico after its government moved to restrict imports of GM corn, arguing it can contaminate Mexico's ancient native varieties and have negative impacts on human health. Mexico produces mainly white corn, used to make tortillas, but has a deficit of yellow corn, used for livestock consumption and industrial applications. The country imports about 17 million tons of corn from the United States each year. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the country's annual exports to Mexico amounted to about $5 billion in 2022.

☆ COVID-19 vaccination for health workers no longer mandatory, but favoured, France's health body says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A medical worker prepares a dose of the "Cominarty" Pfizer-Bivalent coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine at a vaccination center in Nice as a new surge in the COVID-19 outbreak starts in France, December 7, 2022. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard/File PhotoPARIS, March 30 (Reuters) - France's public health authority Haute Autorite de Sante (HAS)on Thursday eased its vaccination guidance for professionals in the health sector, saying the shot was no longer mandatory, but still strongly recommended, in light of recent epidemiological data. France's decision at the height of the pandemic to suspend the work contracts of doctors, nurses and other health workers who refused to take a COVID-19 vaccination, was highly controversial. The government had argued the move was necessary to keep hospitals safe, while unions said it further reduced available workforce in France's chronically under-staffed health sector. Reporting by Tassilo Hummel, editing by Charlotte Van CampenhoutOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China plans random, spot checks at hospitals to track COVID
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 30 (Reuters) - Chinese officials plan random and spot checks at medical facilities in the country to track incomplete and under-reported COVID-19 data, the country's health authority said, amid a wider call by global authorities for more transparency. For months, the country has faced pressure from countries and health experts to reveal and be more forthcoming with COVID data, most notably official numbers around severe hospitalisations and deaths. Recently, advisers to the World Health Organization urged China to release all information related to the origin of the COVID pandemic. Local governments should actively seek financial support to ensure funding for the costs surrounding the random checks, the health authority said. Reporting by Ethan Wang and Bernard Orr; Editing by Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ CDC advisors recommend mpox vaccine for at-risk adults in future outbreaks
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's independent advisors on Wednesday unanimously recommended administering the two-dose Jynneos vaccine to adults at risk of mpox in the event of future outbreaks, following last year's unprecedented epidemic. "It's important to state that an mpox outbreak will be determined by public health authorities, and a single case may be considered an mpox outbreak at the discretion of the public health authority," said Dr. Pablo Sanchez, head of the CDC committee's mpox workgroup. "Local health departments, state health departments, federal can all make that determination of what is considered an outbreak," Rao said. The CDC advisors will meet again in June to discuss using the Jynneos vaccine for kids at risk of mpox in future outbreaks. The U.S. is currently offering the vaccine to adults and adolescents who are at risk in the current epidemic.

That abrupt U-turn unleashed COVID on a 1.4 billion population which has been shielded from the virus since it first erupted in China's Wuhan city in 2019. The outbreak is now overwhelming hospitals and crematoriums as it rips through the population, where many elderly are still not fully vaccinated. "This is a very pertinent suggestion, return to the home town...or put the health of the elderly first," wrote one user. The country did not report COVID fatalities data on Tuesday and Wednesday. But concerns about China's outbreak has prompted more than a dozen countries to demand negative COVID test results from people arriving from China.

The holiday, known before the pandemic as the world's largest annual migration of people, comes amid an escalating diplomatic spat over COVID curbs that saw Beijing introduce transit curbs for South Korean and Japanese nationals on Wednesday. The virus is spreading unchecked in China after Beijing abruptly began dismantling its previously tight curbs in early December following historic protests. Among them, South Korea and Japan have also limited flights and require tests on arrival, with passengers showing up as positive being sent to quarantine. COUNTING DEATHSSome of the governments that announced curbs on travellers from China cited concerns over Beijing's data transparency. Annual spending by Chinese tourists abroad reached $250 billion before the pandemic, with South Korea and Japan among the top shopping destinations.

☆ Mexican authorities uncover human skulls in package headed for U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Four human skulls wrapped in plastic and aluminum foil are seen during an inspection by the National Guard inside a package bound for the United States at a courier company located at the Queretaro Intercontinental airport, in Queretaro, Mexico in this photo distributed on December 30, 2022. Mexico's Guardia Nacional/Handout via REUTERSMEXICO CITY, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Four human skulls were discovered inside a package at a Mexican airport that was due to be sent by courier to the United States, local authorities said on Friday. The skulls were found wrapped in aluminum foil inside a cardboard box at Queretaro Intercontinental Airport in central Mexico, a statement from the National Guard said. The National Guard gave no further details on the age, identity or possible motive for the sending of the human remains. The transfer of human remains requires a special permit from a competent health authority which was not obtained, it said.

☆ WHO urges China to share specific data regularly on COVID situation
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dec 30 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization on Friday once again urged China's health officials to regularly share specific and real-time information on the COVID-19 situation in the country, as it continues to assess the latest surge in infections. The agency has asked Chinese officials to share more genetic sequencing data, as well as data on hospitalizations, deaths and vaccinations. COVID infections have risen across China this month after Beijing dismantled its zero-COVID policies including regular PCR testing on its population. The United States, South Korea, India, Italy, Japan and Taiwan have all imposed COVID tests for travellers from China in response. Senior Chinese health officials exchanged views with the WHO on the new coronavirus via a video conference, China's National Health Commission said in a statement earlier on Friday.

☆ China's health officials exchange views with WHO on COVID-19
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Senior Chinese health officials exchanged views with the World Health Organization on Friday on the new coronavirus via a video conference, China's National Health Commission said in a statement. Both sides exchanged views on the current epidemic situation, medical treatment, vaccination and other technical matters, the Chinese health authority said, adding that more technical exchanges would be held. Reporting by Ryan Woo; Editing by Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China to drop COVID tests for inbound travelers from Jan. 8
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/2] A medical worker in a protective suit collects a swab sample from a man at a nucleic acid testing site, as coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreaks continue in Shanghai, China, December 12, 2022. REUTERS/Aly SongDec 28 (Reuters) - China will drop a requirement for inbound travellers to take COVID-19 PCR tests starting from Jan 8, 2023, customs authorities said on Wednesday. PCR checks for imported chilled and frozen foods will also be dropped, China's General Administration of Customs said. China's management of COVID-19 is set to be downgraded to the less strict Category B from the top-level Category A from Jan. 8, the health authority said on Monday. Reporting by Beijing Newsroom; editing by John StonestreetOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Gulf markets rise on China optimism, Saudi leads
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Ateeq Shariff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

China will stop requiring inbound travellers to go into quarantine starting from Jan. 8, the National Health Commission said on Monday. Saudi Arabia's benchmark index (.TASI) gained 1.3%, led by a 1.8% rise in Al Rajhi Bank (1120.SE) and a 1.9% increase in oil giant Saudi Aramco (2222.SE). The Saudi stock market rose today while oil markets' prospects improved with China opening up, said Fadi Reyad, chief market analyst at CAPEX.com. "However, the main index remains near its lowest levels this year and could be at risk of other price corrections." According to Reyad, the Qatari index continued to decline under the weight of the natural gas market's performance.

☆ Indian shares rise as China further eases COVID curbs
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Nifty 50 index (.NSEI) was up 0.46% at 18,097.45, as of 09:17 a.m. IST, and the S&P BSE Sensex (.BSESN) rose 0.47% to 60,850.63. Capping the gains in domestic equities are oil prices, which rose in thin trade on fears of supply disruption due to winter storms across the United States. Brent crude <LCOc1) rose above $84 per barrel while Nymex crude jumped above $80 per barrel. Higher oil prices hurt oil-importing countries like India, where crude constitutes the bulk of the country's import bill. ($1 = 82.6500 Indian rupees)Reporting by Bharath Rajeswaran in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane Venkatraman and Eileen SorengOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/3] Travellers stand by their luggage at Beijing Capital International Airport, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Beijing, China December 27, 2022. International health experts estimate millions of daily infections and predict at least one million COVID deaths in China next year. Data from travel platform Ctrip showed that within half an hour of the news, searches for popular cross-border destinations on had increased 10-fold. "International travel ... will likely to surge, yet it may take many more months before volumes return to the pre-pandemic level," said Dan Wang, Chief Economist, Hang Seng Bank China. "COVID is still spreading in most parts of China, greatly disrupting the normal work schedule.

☆ China will end Covid quarantine rule for incoming travelers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Strict requirements on inbound travelers had remained in place, including five days of mandatory quarantine at a government-supervised facility and three more of isolation at home. Travelers entering China will still have to undergo PCR testing 48 hours before departure, however, the health authority said. If an outbreak becomes severe, the institution will adopt so-called “closed management” to prevent the spread of infections, the authority said. China will also further increase the vaccination rate among the elderly, and promote second doses among people at high risk of severe illness. China is the last major country to move toward treating Covid as endemic.

☆ China to scrap Covid quarantine rule for inbound travelers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

People line up outside a fever clinic in Beijing on Dec. 14, 2022, just days after the country relaxed its Covid controls amid below-freezing weather in the capital city. China will stop requiring inbound travelers to go into quarantine starting from Jan. 8, the National Health Commission said on Monday in a major step towards easing curbs on its borders, which have been largely shut since 2020. Strict requirements on inbound travelers had remained in place, including five days of mandatory quarantine at a government-supervised facility and three more of isolation at home. That restriction and one on the number of passengers on international flights will be removed from Jan. 8. Travelers entering China will still have to undergo PCR testing 48 hours before departure, however, the health authority said.

The country will also scrap all other restrictive Covid measures for travelers, including quarantines for positive patients and contact tracing. China downgraded Covid management to a less-strict “Class B disease,” in the same category as less-severe diseases, such as Dengue fever. The existing quarantine policy for international arrivals to China was first launched in 2020 and modified over the course of the past several years. Since the world’s second largest economy drastically eased its Covid restrictions, there has been no clear data on the extent of the virus’ spread on the national level. China’s current focus is to prepare sufficient medical resources, according to the NHC statement.

☆ China to scrap COVID quarantine rule for inbound travellers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, Dec 26 (Reuters) - China will stop requiring inbound travellers to go into quarantine starting from Jan. 8, the National Health Commission said on Monday in a major step towards easing curbs on its borders, which have been largely shut since 2020. Strict requirements on inbound travellers had remained in place, including five days of mandatory quarantine at a government-supervised facility and three more of isolation at home. That restriction and one on the number of passengers on international flights will be removed from Jan. 8. Travellers entering China will still have to undergo PCR testing 48 hours before departure, however, the health authority said. Reporting by Ryan Woo, Ethan Wang, Eduardo Baptista and Brenda Goh; editing by John StonestreetOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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