China eases need for negative COVID tests

As China slowly eases its coronavirus restrictions, Beijing Capital and Beijing Daxing international airports have now dropped the requirement for arriving passengers to show a negative COVID-19 test result.

Negative test results are now also no longer required to enter supermarkets and offices in Beijing, reports Xinhua News Agency.

However, evidence of a negative nucleic acid test within the previous 48 hours is still required for entry to Internet cafés, gyms, schools and nursing homes, among other places.

After tens of millions of Chinese endured some form of lockdown in recent months, anti-government demonstrations broke out in Beijing, Shanghai and other cities across the country in late November.

State-run news outlets reported last week that Chinese authorities had now announced  changes to the strict COVID policies.  

China has remained closed to international visitors for the past three years.