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Covid-19 has been a very deadly virus which has been circulating in China for the past few years. It was first detected in 2019 and now it’s back again. This time, the number of people infected is much higher than before.
The first time China was hit by Covid-19, it was in 2019 ending and the number of people infected was about 1 million. Now, the numbers are in millions. The Chinese government is trying to take all possible measures to control this epidemic but we can’t say how effective they have been so far. China has had a lot of trouble with this virus, but they have also made progress on finding a cure for covid-19 as well as ways to prevent its spread.
The US will require travellers from China to undergo COVID-19 testing, as the number of cases continues to rise in the country.
The U.S. The Department of State announced Monday that it would be introducing COVID-19 testing for travellers from China, which was previously optional for travellers from other countries. This year, the third or fourth time it has been detected, and this time it's estimated that there are around 10 million people who have been infected with covid-19.
In order to comply with the new rules, travellers who have been in contact with a person who has been diagnosed with or died of COVID-19 are required to provide medical information and sign a form confirming that they have not been in contact with anyone who has been diagnosed with or died from COVID-19.
The decision comes after rising numbers of cases, including one death earlier this month, were reported in China and other Asian countries. The United States will require travellers from China to be tested for the coronavirus (COVID-19) as part of their visa application process.
The Department of State said in a statement on Thursday that it had implemented changes to its visa application process that would affect travellers from China and other countries with reported cases of COVID-19.
The new requirements include submitting a medical questionnaire, which will include questions about possible exposure to COVID-19.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the new patient is currently being treated at an undisclosed hospital in Texas, and had not travelled outside the country at the time of diagnosis. However, an earlier case has been reported in Mexico and a second case has been confirmed in Texas by laboratory testing.
In a statement on Tuesday, CDC said it had issued updated recommendations for travellers from China who have been exposed to COVID-19 in addition to those already being recommended by WHO. The updated recommendations include: testing all travellers who have been in close contact with any person who has or is suspected of having COVID-19 infection; taking appropriate precautions when handling potentially contaminated surfaces or objects; and avoiding contact with people who are sick with COVID-19 symptoms or known cases of COVID-19 infection.
The new requirements came into effect on 23 December 2022, after President Joe Biden signed an executive order which prohibited travel to the US for anyone who had been infected with COVID-19.
The move came after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned that American business interests in China were at risk due to growing numbers of China's citizens visiting America and other countries in Asia.
In addition, Chinese travellers have been banned from visiting the US since December 2023, when the disease was first identified in humans outside China. "The government's decision to ban visits by all Chinese citizens without COVID-19 testing is not based on science or reason," said Jeffrey Pyle, a health policy fellow with the US National Security Council.
