(WASHINGTON) The United States is considering imposing entry restrictions on travelers from China, where authorities have suddenly eased COVID-19 measures, US officials said on Tuesday.
Infections surged across China as key pillars of the country’s “zero Covid-19” policy, implemented since early 2020, were dismantled within weeks, prompting US officials to worry about the risk of new virus variants.
“The international community is deeply concerned about the ongoing outbreaks of COVID-19 in China and the lack of transparent data, including virus genome sequence data, reported by the PRC,” US officials said on condition of anonymity, referring to the People’s Republic. of China.
Beijing has admitted that it is “impossible” to follow the evolution of the epidemic and has stopped publishing daily data on the health situation since Sunday. Official statistics were increasingly criticized because of their underestimation of infections and deaths.
But the lack of genetic data, which is the most worrisome overseas, “makes it difficult for public health officials to be sure they can identify any new variants and take immediate action to reduce the spread,” U.S. officials said. said.
The United States is “following scientific data and advice from public health experts, consulting with partners, and considering taking similar measures.” […] To protect the American people,” they added, citing concerns expressed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and measures adopted by Japan, India and Malaysia.
Japan is reintroducing mandatory PCR tests for travelers from mainland China starting Friday.
China’s easing of anti-Covid-19 measures marks an end to mass testing, lockdowns and lengthy quarantines that have upended supply chains and disrupted trade ties with the rest of the world.
China’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday that countries should maintain “scientific and appropriate” disease controls that “should not affect the normal exchange of people”.
