The United States will require all travelers from China to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test prior to their flight amid a recent surge in cases in Beijing, CNN reports.
Passengers will need to show proof of a negative test -- which can be either a PCR test or antigen self-test administered through a telehealth service -- taken no more than two days prior to their scheduled flight, federal health officials announced on Wednesday (December 28).
The new requirement will also include passengers traveling from China to the U.S. through popular third-country gateways such as Seoul, Toronto and Vancouver, CNN reports.
Passengers who had previously tested positive more than 10 days prior to their flight can be permitted with documentation proving their recovery in the absence of a negative test result.
The new restrictions will go into effect at 12:01 a.m. ET on January 5.
“We know these measures will not eliminate all risk or completely prevent people who are infected from entering the United States,” a federal health official said via CNN, adding that, “taken together they will help limit the number of infected people and provide us an early warning about new variants.”
The new travel restrictions follow similar tactics taken by Japan and India amid the surge in COVID cases in China.