China has lifted mandatory quarantine rules for inbound travelers and allowed its citizens to head abroad, triggering a homecoming wave. The move comes amid a COVID-19 explosion across the nation, which has stoked global concerns.
As of Jan. 8, international visitors are free to enter China’s mainland and no longer need to undergo centralized quarantine at hotels. The border reopening amounts to the final step in dismantling the zero-COVID policy that has hammered the country’s economy and led to severe suffering among the populace.
While incoming visitors still need to present a negative PCR test result within 48 hours of departure, the relaxation of cross-border travel restrictions ahead of China’s lunar new year was welcomed by many who haven’t seen their families for nearly three years under the draconian COVID-19 curbs. On Jan. 8, long lines formed at Hong Kong’s international airport for flights to Beijing and other major mainland cities after the former British colony allowed people to cross the border with the mainland without being quarantined….