China to drop Covid tests for inbound travellers from Jan 8

Relatives wait outside a funeral home, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Chengdu, Sichuan province, China December 28, 2022. Credit: Reuters Photo

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.

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China's management of Covid-19 is set to be downgraded to the less strict Category B from the top-level Category A from January 8, the health authority said on Monday.