The corona-virus outbreak (COVID-19) has been declared a global emergency, many countries have implemented bans or regulations regarding foreign nationals’ visits to their territory to reduce the potential for spread.

Countries that carry out restrictions and limitations on the arrival (travel) of tourist to Chinese territory in anticipation of the spread of COVID-19 cases. The guide below summarizes things you need to know if you want to visit Shanghai for any kind of interest, such as travel, business, visiting family, and others.

This guide is vital to understand so that you can better understand the travel policies or restrictions imposed by the Chinese national government and the governments of major cities in China. It is intended that your visit to China will be safer and more comfortable.

China Travel Regulations During the COVID-19

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COVID-19 is a global pandemic. All countries are making every effort to prevent further spread in their countries, as well as China. China is one of the most active and at the forefront of dealing with COVID-19. In general, the Chinese government limits non-essential domestic travel. Some provincial and city governments in China also require COVID-19 tests for travelers who come to Chinese territory.

In taking precautions, the Chinese government has grouped areas in China based on the risk of spreading COVID-19, namely:

1. Low risk: locations in China that have no new confirmed cases of COVID-19, and no confirmed cases in 14 consecutive days.
2. Moderate risk: Areas in China where COVID-19 cases did not exceed 50 cases in 14 days, or more than 50 cases were found but did not occur in 14 days.
3. High risk: Are priority areas for handling COVID-19 by the Chinese government. These locations are areas where new confirmed COVID-19 cases exceeded 50 in just 14 days.

Therefore, an area can turn into a medium risk to high, high risk to low. So it is necessary to pay attention to the latest policies issued by the Chinese government.

Those who come from high-risk areas and wish to travel to low-risk areas must have a COVID-19 test result before traveling to prevent spread to low or medium-risk areas.

As with most countries, those entering China will have to pass checks at airports, train stations, subway stations, and other public facilities to ensure that they are not contaminated with COVID-19.

The thing that must be considered is that the regulations and restrictions on travel to China can differ in each region. So for complete information, you can find it on the website of the China embassy or consulate in each region.

Travel Regulations in Main Cities in China: What You Should Know

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1, Shanghai

The restriction policy does not apply to residents of Shanghai. However, the Shanghai government encourages companies/organizations/institutions to conduct Coronavirus nucleic acid testing for their employees who have just come to Shanghai from other areas.

For international arrivals, all international flights to Shanghai are directed to Pudong International Airport. So all passengers entering Shanghai from abroad will undergo virus testing and quarantine for 14 days.

2, Beijing

As one of the busiest and largest cities in China, Beijing is a priority area for the Chinese government in terms of preventing the spread of COVID-19. Inbound flights to Beijing will be diverted to one of the following 16 cities: Changsha, Chengdu, Lanzhou, Hefei, Shijiazhuang, Tianjin, Hohhot, Taiyuan, Jinan, Nanjing, Qingdao, Dalian, Shenyang, Xi’an, and Zhengzhou. So those who wish to enter Beijing have to go through this “first point of entry”.

Chinese citizens and foreign nationals who enter the Beijing area will be required to take part in the 14-day mandatory quarantine and testing in the first entry point city above.

 3, Chong Qing

Those who wish to enter the Chong Qing area, Hubei Province, are required to have a green health QR code and a negative RNA test result. If not, then they are required to quarantine for 14 days and must take the RNA test at least two times a day.

Especially for those who come from high-risk areas, even though they have a negative RNA test result, they are still required to quarantine for 14 days and be included in the community health management.

4, Shenzhen

So far, there is no mandatory 14-day quarantine requirement, but those entering the area will be required to take a temperature check and fill out an application form to confirm health.

All international arrivals will undergo mandatory nucleic acid testing and quarantine for 14 days to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Currently, there is no outbound restriction policy.

5, Guangzhou

Guangzhou residents who wish to travel domestically will not be required to undergo a 14-day quarantine. But it is obligatory to take a temperature check upon arrival and fill out the application provided for confirmation of health.

Meanwhile, travelers who come from outside the Guangzhou region or the China region are required to undergo a nucleic acid test and quarantine for 14 days.

6, Nanjing

Residents or visitors originating from Nanjing are not subject to restrictions if they have a green health code. But those with a yellow or red health code may be required to undergo a 14-day quarantine.

Similar to some other regions, those arriving from outside the Nanjing region will be required to undergo a 14-day quarantine for observation of their medical conditions and conditions.

7, Tianjin

Just like Nanjing, those with a green health code will not be subject to any restrictions or limitations. But they will need to pass a simple check. So far, foreigners are not allowed to enter Tianjin unless they have business-related visas approved by China’s relevant authorities.

Those who are allowed to enter the Tianjin region are also subject to the mandatory 14-day quarantine.

8, Shenyang

Shenyang residents who enter this area are not required to go into quarantine but must take an RNA test first. The restrictions also do not apply to those with green Health QR codes.

There is a temporary suspension of entry of foreigners holding valid Chinese visas and residence permits for foreign flights. And had to fill out an epidemic prevention health information form before landing in Shenyang.

China’s Social Distancing Policy During the COVID-19

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In an effort to deal with the increasingly widespread Coronavirus outbreak, WHO and the government are encouraging people to implement social distancing. Social distancing is one of the steps to prevent and control Coronavirus infection by encouraging people to limit visits to crowded places and direct contact with other people.

Some call social distancing physical distancing.

When implementing social distancing, a person is not allowed to shake hands and maintain a distance of at least 1 meter when interacting with other people, especially with people who are sick or at high risk of suffering from COVID-19.

There are several examples of the application of social distancing that is commonly done, namely:

• Work from home
• Online home study for school students and college students
• Postpone high-attendance meetings or events, such as conferences, seminars, and meetings, or do so online via video conference or teleconference.
• Do not visit people who are sick, but simply by telephone or video call.

Each country may apply different social distancing policies depending on the conditions and the size of the people.

At the beginning of the pandemic, the Chinese government immediately implemented several social distancing policies such as closing schools, prohibiting transportation, closing workplaces or other public facilities to help limit the transmission of COVID-19.

The Chinese government’s social distancing policies are focused on mitigating the risk of COVID-19 throughout the general population.

But now, many schools, workplaces, shopping centers, restaurants, and other public facilities have begun to open to maintain the wheels of the national economy. Even though social distancing in China has been quite relaxed, people or anyone visiting China is still required to do basic social distancing such as maintaining distance, wearing masks, diligently washing hands, not gathering in too crowded places, and others.

Public facilities in China are also required to provide hand sanitizers or hand washing with running water for their visitors. This is very important to avoid further spreading of the COVID-19 virus in these places.

Conclusion

The COVID-19 virus affects all sectors, including travel. Those who want to travel must give extra effort in preparation for their visit to an area because each country has its own policies and restrictions for those who want to visit their region. And we as visitors must appreciate their endeavour for the sake of national and global health.

Likewise with China, which since the beginning has issued policies and restrictions on visits to the country. The policy is dynamic in following the developments and conditions of COVID-19 nationally and globally.

Hopefully, the guide above can help you understand the general overview of the Chinese government’s policies and big-city governments in China regarding COVID-19. Wherever you travel, you must still be able to understand and comply with the policies and restrictions imposed by that country. It is intended for the safety of you, the people of that country, and the global community.