China eases rules for international Covid flight suspensions

CHINA has shortened the length of suspensions for inbound airline flights that carry passengers infected with Covid-19, the latest sign that the nation may be ready to ease virus-control measures for international travellers.

Authorities changed the so-called circuit-breaker mechanism for airline bans, cutting to 1 week the period that incoming flights will be suspended if they carry 5 Covid-positive passengers, or 4 per cent of the total, said a statement posted on website of Civil Aviation Administration of China. Flights that arrive with 8 per cent of passengers infected will be halted for 2 weeks.

The change, starting Sunday (Aug 7), is aimed at promoting personnel exchanges between China and foreign countries, and foreign exchange and cooperation, while “scientifically and accurately” achieving epidemic prevention and control, the statement said. 

In June, China reduced quarantine times for inbound travellers by half, its biggest shift in a Covid-19 policy that has left the world’s second-largest economy isolated as it continues to try and eliminate the virus.

In April last year, the authority said in a statement that inbound flights carrying 5 infected passengers would be banned for 2 weeks from the fourth week of arrival or control its load factor and for those flights with 10 infected arrivals would be banned for 4 weeks from the fourth week of arrival.  

Hong Kong suspended a similar flight-ban system last month, raising hopes the financial hub will lift travel curbs. BLOOMBERG