China has revealed it will scrap its PCR test requirement for inbound travelers at the end of the month. Passengers will only need to show a negative rapid antigen test result from April 29th.
No more China PCR testing
While China announced the lifting of COVID-related restrictions back in January, it still mandated that travelers present a negative PCR test result before arriving into the country. As confirmed by Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning on Tuesday at a press briefing in Beijing, this will no longer be the case from April 29th, although travelers will still need to show a COVID antigen test result taken within 48 hours of departure.
As reported by Bloomberg, Mao said,
“We will continue to refine prevention and control policies in a science-based manner in light of the evolving epidemic situation to ensure the safe, healthy and orderly personnel exchange between China and other countries.”
Mao added that airlines won’t be required to check proof of antigen test results either. Earlier in the year, China had removed its PCR requirement for select nations, including New Zealand and Malaysia, but kept it in force for many others. Following a surge in COVID cases across China towards the end of 2022, several countries, including the US, implemented mandatory testing of Chinese arrivals, which led Chinese authorities to keep their own testing regimen in place. However, this was lifted by early March as China cases subsided, and it seems Chinese authorities have finally decided to reciprocate.
In time for the holidays
The rule change will come into force on the same day that five consecutive days of public holiday begin, starting from April 29th. While the majority of travel during this period will be domestic, data reveals that international travel bookings are more than 12 times higher compared to last year, with overseas tour group up by 137% since the beginning of April.
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International recovery
As one of the last countries globally to lift the majority of its COVID-related restrictions for inbound travelers, China’s international capacity is still at a fraction of its pre-COVID levels. Recent data from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) shows that international capacity is currently at less than 30% of pre-pandemic levels, although its domestic market is faring much better.
As Simple Flying explored earlier this month, of the world’s major airports, Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) and Shanghai Pudong Airport (PVG) have the biggest decline in long-haul seats this month compared to 2019, demonstrating just how far the country is from a full international recovery.
However, today’s news will undoubtedly be a help, removing an expensive and often frustrating obstacle to international travel. Other obstacles remain, including reduced capacity at airlines and visa backlogs – Subhas Menon, director general of the Association of Asia-Pacific Airlines, predicted in February that it would take around a year for China to recover its pre-pandemic capacity.
Would you consider visiting China now that there is no PCR testing requirement? Do you think this is the last we’ll see of widespread PCR testing in aviation? Let us know in the comments.
Source: Bloomberg