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BBC Pidgin of Thursday, 29 December 2022

Source: BBC

Why America and oda kontries dey impose Covid testing for visitors from China

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US don become di latest kontri to impose Covid testing on visitors from China, afta Beijing announce say dem go reopen borders next week.

Italy, Japan, Taiwan and India also announce mandatory tests, but Australia and UK say dem no get new rules for travellers from China.

Afta three years of being closed to di world, China go let pipo travel more freely from 8 January.

But di kontri ongoing Covid rise don cause concerns.

China dey report about 5,000 cases a day, but analysts say di numbers dey undercounted - and di daily case load fit dey closer to a million.

Hospitals dey overwhelmed and residents dey struggle to find basic medicines, according to reports.#

On Wednesday, US say a lack of "adequate and transparent" Covid data for China don contribute to di decision to require Covid tests from 5 January for travellers wey dey enta di kontri from China, Hong Kong and Macau.

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say di move dey was needed "to help slow di spread of di virus as we work to identify... any potential new variants wey fit emerge".

But Beijing foreign ministry on Wednesday bin say dem suppose only instate coronavirus rules on a "scientific" basis and accuse Western kontries and media of "hyping up" di situation.

Some pipo react wit anger for China social media.

"I tink say all of di foreign kontries don open up. Shey no be racism be dis?" Na so one comment wey dem like 3,000 times tok for Weibo.

US say testing dey required of anyone wey dey come from China, or a tthrough a third kontri, regardless of nationality.#

But odas say dem understand di reason for di conditions:

"Dis na notin compared to all di restrictions we bin get for pipo wey dey come into China," one user write.

Beijing only announce on Monday dia decision to end quarantine for arrivals - wey effectively reopen travel in and out of di kontri for firsdi time since March 2020.

Until dis week, anyone wey dey enta China get to undergo quarantine for state facilities.

Before di pandemic, China bin be di world's largest outbound tourism market.

But e no clear now how many Chinese pipo go travel abroad afta 8 January given say di number of flights dey limited, and many citizens need to renew dia passports.

Di international community reaction different wit UK and Australia wey say dem dey monitor China Covid situation but no plan on announcing new testing requirements.

Odas don announce restrictions.

- For Japan, from Friday, travellers from China go dey tested for Covid wen dem arrive. Those wey test positive go get to quarantine for up to seven days. Di number of flights to and from China go also dey restricted
- For India, pipo wey dey travel from China and four oda Asian kontries must produce a negative Covid test before arriving. Positive passengers go also need to dey for quarantine.
- Taiwan say pipo wey dey arrive on flights from China, as well as by boat for two islands, go have to take Covid tests on arrival from 1 January to 31 January. Those wey test positive go dey able to isolate for house.
- Meanwhile Malaysia don put additional tracking and surveillance measures in place.
- Italy don also impose mandatory Covid testing on travellers from China
- Di European Commission say im health security committee go meet on Thursday to discuss "possible measures for a coordinated EU approach" to China Covid palava.

Even though China foreign ministry tok on Wednesday say: "Currently di development of China epidemic situation dey overall predictable and under control", di true toll of daily cases and deaths for China dey unknown as officials don stop to dey require cases to dey reported, and change classifications for Covid deaths. On Sunday, officials say dem go also stop releasing daily case counts.