Beijing Covid Curbs

People joined long queues outside immigration offices in Beijing on Monday, eager to renew their passports after China dropped Covid border controls that had largely prevented its 1.4 billion residents from travelling for three years.

China braced for a "new phase" in its battle against COVID-19 on Monday and financial markets strengthened after Beijing dropped pandemic border controls in the latest easing of curbs that has let the virus loose on its 1.4 billion population.

The United States on Wednesday said that the restrictions imposed on flyers from China are because of the "lack of adequate and transparent" data from Beijing over the omicron subvariants that has the potential to spread beyond its borders.

France on Friday joined a growing list of nations imposing Covid tests on travellers from China, after Beijing dropped foreign travel curbs despite surging cases -- and amid questions about its data reporting.

South Korea took steps on Friday to limit travellers from mainland China, imposing visa restrictions, testing requirements and limiting flights as Beijing grapples with a surge in Covid infections.

Several places around the world have imposed curbs on travellers from China amid a COVID-19 surge after Beijing relaxed strict "zero-COVID" measures.

Chinese reacted with joy and rushed to book flights overseas Tuesday after Beijing said it would scrap mandatory Covid quarantine for overseas arrivals, ending almost three years of self-imposed isolation.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged officials to take steps to "feasibly protect people's lives", in his first remarks on Covid since Beijing dramatically loosened hardline containment measures this month.

Two former Chinese state media journalists have died in the capital Beijing in recent days due to COVID-19, local media reported today, among the first reported fatalities since most epidemic control policies were removed on Dec. 7.

A week after China began dismantling its tough 'zero-COVID' controls, the World Health Organization warned of "very tough" times ahead and state media reported some seriously ill patients at hospitals in Beijing, raising fears of a wave of infections

Beijing's COVID-19 gloom deepened on Sunday with many shops and other businesses closed, and an expert warned of many thousands of new coronavirus cases as anger over China's previous COVID policies gave way to worry about coping with infection.

Taiwanese tech giant Foxconn has ended a months-long "closed loop" system at the world's biggest iPhone factory in central China, citing Beijing's nationwide loosening of zero-Covid regulations.

The Chinese capital showed tentative signs of a return to normal Thursday after a sudden reversal of a hardline pandemic policy that hammered the world's second-biggest economy and ignited rare protests.

Dining in underground restaurants, drinking in secretive bars spread by word-of-mouth, and hiding their Covid symptoms -- some Beijing residents are defying strict curbs.

Beijing residents cheered the removal of COVID-19 testing booths while Shenzhen followed other cities in announcing it would no longer require commuters to present their test results to travel, as an easing of China's virus curbs gathered pace.

People joined long queues outside immigration offices in Beijing on Monday, eager to renew their passports after China dropped Covid border controls that had largely prevented its 1.4 billion residents from travelling for three years.

China braced for a "new phase" in its battle against COVID-19 on Monday and financial markets strengthened after Beijing dropped pandemic border controls in the latest easing of curbs that has let the virus loose on its 1.4 billion population.

The United States on Wednesday said that the restrictions imposed on flyers from China are because of the "lack of adequate and transparent" data from Beijing over the omicron subvariants that has the potential to spread beyond its borders.

France on Friday joined a growing list of nations imposing Covid tests on travellers from China, after Beijing dropped foreign travel curbs despite surging cases -- and amid questions about its data reporting.

South Korea took steps on Friday to limit travellers from mainland China, imposing visa restrictions, testing requirements and limiting flights as Beijing grapples with a surge in Covid infections.

Several places around the world have imposed curbs on travellers from China amid a COVID-19 surge after Beijing relaxed strict "zero-COVID" measures.

Chinese reacted with joy and rushed to book flights overseas Tuesday after Beijing said it would scrap mandatory Covid quarantine for overseas arrivals, ending almost three years of self-imposed isolation.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged officials to take steps to "feasibly protect people's lives", in his first remarks on Covid since Beijing dramatically loosened hardline containment measures this month.

Two former Chinese state media journalists have died in the capital Beijing in recent days due to COVID-19, local media reported today, among the first reported fatalities since most epidemic control policies were removed on Dec. 7.

A week after China began dismantling its tough 'zero-COVID' controls, the World Health Organization warned of "very tough" times ahead and state media reported some seriously ill patients at hospitals in Beijing, raising fears of a wave of infections

Beijing's COVID-19 gloom deepened on Sunday with many shops and other businesses closed, and an expert warned of many thousands of new coronavirus cases as anger over China's previous COVID policies gave way to worry about coping with infection.

Taiwanese tech giant Foxconn has ended a months-long "closed loop" system at the world's biggest iPhone factory in central China, citing Beijing's nationwide loosening of zero-Covid regulations.

The Chinese capital showed tentative signs of a return to normal Thursday after a sudden reversal of a hardline pandemic policy that hammered the world's second-biggest economy and ignited rare protests.

Dining in underground restaurants, drinking in secretive bars spread by word-of-mouth, and hiding their Covid symptoms -- some Beijing residents are defying strict curbs.

Beijing residents cheered the removal of COVID-19 testing booths while Shenzhen followed other cities in announcing it would no longer require commuters to present their test results to travel, as an easing of China's virus curbs gathered pace.