All international travellers entering Beijing, China’s capital, are now expected to self-isolate for 14 days as part of anti-coronavirus measures
Beijing has announced it will enforce a 14-day quarantine on all international travelers arriving in the Chinese capital, as the number of novel coronavirus cases outside Asia continues to rise.
The new ruling, which came in to affect at midnight on Wednesday, is one of a number of travel restrictions being introduced across the region, as governments step up efforts to prevent a surge in cross-border infections.
A woman wears a face mask as a preventive measure against the coronavirus as she waits at Beijing Capital Airport on Wednesday
Authorities in Beijing will now require all passengers arriving in the capital from overseas to self-quarantine, either at home or in a designated facility, for two complete weeks.
International business travelers, meanwhile, will be required to stay at a select number of designated hotels in Beijing, where they will be tested for the virus. They will not be permitted to leave until their test results have been returned.
The city has cordoned off a whole wing of Terminal 3 at its massive Capital International Airport, using the area to screen and register all international arrivals. The authorities have also set up a transportation hub at an exhibition center near the airport, deploying a dedicated fleet of cars to drive arriving passengers to their homes or designated facilities for medical observation.
Elsewhere in Asia, India announced Wednesday that it would suspend all tourist visas and enforce a 14-day quarantine on all travelers, including returning Indian nationals, arriving from or having visited China, Italy, Iran, South Korea, France, Spain and Germany.
Hong Kong also extended quarantine measures for travelers returning from high-risk countries, including some regions of France, Germany, Japan, and Spain.
The latest measures mark something of a reversal for much of Asia, which until recently was dealing with an exponential rise in cases --and the ensuing travel restrictions enacted by countries and airlines around the world.
All international travellers entering Beijing, China’s capital, are now expected to self-isolate for 14 days as part of anti-coronavirus measures
A woman wears a face mask as a preventive measure against the coronavirus as she waits at Beijing Capital Airport on Wednesday
Elsewhere in Asia, India announced Wednesday that it would suspend all tourist visas and enforce a 14-day quarantine on all travelers, including returning Indian nationals, arriving from or having visited China, Italy, Iran, South Korea, France, Spain and Germany.
