Beijing/Shanghai/Guangdong's rules on quarantine grow stricter

A staff member checks information of a woman on her arrival to China at the China International Exhibition Center (new venue), eight kilometers away from the Beijing Capital International Airport, in Beijing on March 17. [Photo/Xinhua]

All overseas travelers, even those who are residents, must go to special sites. Beijing has tightened up quarantine measures for inbound travelers to contain the rising risks of imported COVID-19 cases as the epidemic worsens overseas.

From Thursday, all travelers from overseas have to be put under quarantine in designated places for 14 days when they arrive in Beijing, according to the capital's virus prevention leading group on Thursday.

"For those who are over 70 years old or under 14 years old, as well as pregnant women and those with diseases who are not suited to be quarantined with others, they can apply for a 14-day home observation with strict assessment," said Xu Ying, a senior official with the city government.

Previously, inbound passengers were allowed to be quarantined at home provided they have independent residential apartments in Beijing. If not, they had to be isolated at designated places for 14 days.

Moreover, people who return to the country through other city ports but arrived in Beijing also must report their detailed health information to local authorities.

Accommodation and dining fees at designated isolation places need to be paid for by the travelers themselves. Those found to have concealed their travel history will face legal punishment.

A total of 149 quarantine sites have been set up in Beijing, Xu said.

Beijing has reported 65 imported COVID-19 cases-the most in China, with 22 newly confirmed between Wednesday and noon Thursday, according to the city's health commission.

Overseas Chinese students account for nearly half the imported cases in Beijing, with the majority coming from European and North American countries, said Pang Xinghuo, deputy director of the Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday.

Beijing customs at the international airport have transferred 2,417 inbound passengers to hospitals for further testing since Feb 29, with a daily average of 127 people, according to Pang.

Over the past few days, the daily average soared to 288 with a peak of 479 on Wednesday, she added.

China for the first time reported no new confirmed locally transmitted cases on Wednesday, according to the National Health Commission on Thursday.

However, Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong province are the top three areas facing high risks of cross-border infections.

Shanghai bolsters medical staff numbers at customs checkpoints

A staff member checks the information of a passenger entering China at the Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, March 19, 2020. [Photo/Xinhua]

Shanghai has assigned additional medical staff to support the screening procedures at customs checkpoints in light of the number of imported COVID-19 cases, said city officials on Friday.

All overseas travelers, even those who are residents, must go to special sites. Beijing has tightened up quarantine measures for inbound travelers to contain the rising risks of imported COVID-19 cases as the epidemic worsens overseas.

There were eight new imported cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, said Zheng Jin, a spokesperson from the Shanghai Health Commission, at the daily news conference.

The eight travelers are currently undergoing quarantine while another 23 suspected of being infected are under medical investigation.

There has not been a local infection case in Shanghai in the past 18 days, Zheng added.

Xu Wei, a spokesperson from the municipal government, reiterated that travelers entering the city from foreign countries are required to undergo temperature checks, epidemiology investigation and health registration. In addition, travelers from 24 countries affected by the COVID-19 must undergo a 14-day quarantine.

The mandatory quarantine also applies to those who have transited in these countries or have come into contact with those suspected to be infected, Xu added.

Travelers from eight more countries affected by the COVID-19 pandemic will now have to face a 14-day quarantine upon entering Shanghai, the municipal government announced on Thursday.The countries on the list are as follows:

South Korea, Italy, Iran, Japan, France, Spain, Germany, the US, the UK, Switzerland, Sweden, Belgium, Norway, the Netherlands, Denmark, Austria, Australia, Malaysia, Greece, Czech Republic, Finland, Qatar, Canada and Saudi Arabia.

Latest Entry Process at GZ Airport! Free Test is Waiting for U

In Guangdong, 28 imported cases were reported by midnight Wednesday, with cases mainly from European and Southeast Asian countries, the local health commission said.

Starting Thursday, all people entering the province are required to receive nucleic acid tests and undergo quarantine for 14 days, according to a notice by the provincial disease prevention and control task force on Thursday.

The tests are free for all passengers entering the province, but they are required to pay for centralized isolation or medical treatment, the notice said.

Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong, has designated 40 hotels as sites for centralized medical observation for returnees, according to the city municipal government.

Starting from March 19, Guangzhou Baiyun International airport begins to adopt new entry measures for arrivals. All inbound passengers will fall into four categories. 

• Red

International students and Chinese passengers who will leave the airport directly

• Yellow 

All passengers who will transfer to other places from the airport

• Orange 

Foreign passengers with a history of travel or residence from hard-hit countries and regions

• Green 

Foreign passengers without a history of travel or residence from hard-hit countries and regions

Here's the full entry process at the airport, please tap to check the full size.

As shown above, all passengers, including both foreigners and Chinese residents, are now required to be tested for the coronavirus when they arrive at exit-entry ports. But don't worry about money, the nucleic acid tests will be conducted at the state's expense.

Speaking of expenses, Guangzhou has introduced "one exemption, two charges" policy applied to all inbound passengers.

"One exemption" means that the nucleic acid tests for arrivals are free. As shown above, they will be at the state's expense. 

"Two charges" means that those who are required to quarantine at designated places need to bear the accommodation fees and meal fees by themselves.

As for passengers arriving in Guangdong from overseas, who have tested positive for the virus and are covered by China's basic medical insurance, a certain proportion of theirmedical expenses will be covered by basic medical insurance, serious disease insurance and medical assistance fund, while the out-of-pocket amounts will be paid by financial subsidies.

For those who are not covered by China's basic health insurance, in principle, should bear their own medical costs. As for those with commercial medical insurance, their medical expenses should be reimbursed by the insurance company in accordance with their contracts. 

Those who are not covered by China's basic medical insurance and have difficulty in paying for medical expenses, if eligible, are entitled to treatment according to laws and regulations.

P.s. The accommodation fees and meal fees are varied, depending on where to stay for quarantine and what to eat. 

Source:By Xin Wen| China Daily;By Xing Yi in Shanghai| chinadaily.com.cn;

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/pp7JGgPART2S-iAgFoYd8A, HACOS瀚客

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