Adjustments of testing requirements for China-bound Passengers

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In order to reduce cross-border transmission of COVID-19 and protect the health and safety of passengers, the Chinese Consulates General in the Los Angeles issued this notice on the adjustments of testing requirements for all China-bound Passengers.

All Chinese and foreign passengers (excluding children under 3 years old) who take flights from Los Angeles to China, are required to take nucleic acid and IgM antibody tests at following designated facilities in Los Angeles 2 days prior to the departure date, and apply for a green health QR code. Passengers who obtain the "HS"(for Chinese nationals) code or "HDC"(for Non-Chinese nationals) code from the Chinese Embassy or Consulates in the U.S. are allowed to board the flight.

Here are the key points of the notice for your reference:

1. To take nucleic acid and IgM antibody tests at designated facilities means that the sample must be collected at the designated clinics or sites and tested at the designated labs. Please Click here to find the designated facilities for sample collecting and testing in Los Angeles.

Please note the list of designated facilities may be adjusted depending on the testing quality.

2. The designated facilities are operating in accordance with local laws and regulations and do not have any business relations with the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles. Please choose from the list any one of the designated facilities for sample collecting and testing which can accommodate your need for timing, expense and insurance coverage, etc.

3. The methodology for sample collection should be Pharyngeal Swab or Nasopharyngeal Swab for nucleic acid test, and Intravenous Puncture for IgM antibody test.

Any other collection methodologies, such as fingertip blood sampling or self-taking sampling, will not be accepted.

4. The nucleic acid test should be conducted using the "Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR)" methodology, and IgM antibody test should be conducted using the "Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay" or "Chemical Luminescence" methodology.

Please note that antigen test or any "rapid test" will not be accepted.

5. Passengers receiving tests should personally appear at the designated sample collecting clinics or sites, carry and present valid passports or other travel documents for identity verification, truthfully declare personal health status, including but not limited to fever symptoms, contact and travel history, etc., and sign a Consent Form at the request of the facilities, agreeing to release personal information and test results to the Chinese Consulate.

6. The Consulate has officially notified the designated facilities of new requirements for sample collecting, testing and test result reporting. Please make the facilities know the purpose of doing the tests is to travel to China.

7. To apply for a green health QR code from the Chinese Embassy or Consulates, please send the original test reports and all other documents required through WeChat Mini Program (for Chinese nationals) or the website https://hrhk.cs.mfa.gov.cn/H5/ (for Non-Chinese nationals).

The Chinese Embassy and Consulates, after verifying the test results, will issue a "HS"(for Chinese nationals) or "HDC"(for Non-Chinese nationals) code for those who meet with the required health conditions and proper procedure requirements for sample collection and testing. When applying for green health QR, please truthfully and accurately answer the questions of your personal information and health status, including but not limited to fever symptoms, contact and travel history.

The Consulate will verify test results of all passengers with the designated institutions, and if necessary, require the relevant passengers to take another test at a different designated facility.

Any false declaration, falsification of test results or alteration of test reports will result in rejection of health code application and being declined of boarding or be held liable for the offense.

8. China-bound foreign passenger nationals departing from Los Angeles must take direct flight, otherwise the HDC QR code for boarding will not be approved in Los Angeles.

For China-bound foreign passengers of a third country where there are direct flights to China, they are required to take a direct flight other than a flight from another country, and their HDC QR code will not be approved in Los Angeles.

For China-bound foreign passengers of a third counry where there is no direct flight to China, they are required to go through required Covid-19 tests and apply HDC QR codes both in the departure country and in Los Angeles if they take a direct flight from Los Angeles to China.

Passengers without the previous HDC QR code issued by the Chinese Embassy or Consulates in the departure country will not be issued a HDC QR code in Los Angeles even they go through required Covid-19 tests in Los Angeles.

Please be prepaired for possible denial of a HDC QR code due to a positive test result in Los Angeles.

9. If tested positive for nucleic acid or IgM antibody, you may double check with the clinic or site of sample collection to confirm the test results and seek medical advice. Please stay calm and inform family and friends if possible, cancel the flight booking and inform the Consulate of the test result.

10. Inoculated Personnel

(1) For passengers who have received inactivated vaccines:

If the nucleic acid test result is negative and the IgM antibody test result is positive due to inoculation of China-made vaccine, the applicant can apply for the health code following normal procedures. Please download the Statement of COVID-19 Vaccination, fill it out truthfully, sign and and upload it together with the "dual-tests" certificates and vaccination certificates through the application website.

(2) For passengers who have received non-inactivated vaccines:

a. Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are all non-inactivated vaccines. The following procedures apply only to passengers who have completed the prescribed number of inoculations.

b. Positive IgM test results may occur after vaccination. In order to distinguish between vaccination and infection, passengers flying from Los Angeles to China who have been inoculated of the non-inactivated vaccine are advised to follow the following procedures:

When testing in the designated facilities of the Consulate, fill out the Health Declaration Form truthfully, declare your inoculation, and orally express and present your vaccination certificates to the testing agency staff, and consent that the agency will automatically add the N protein test when your IgM test result comes out positive.

When testing the personnel who have been vaccinated of the U.S. vaccine, if the IgM result is positive, the testing agency will automatically add the N protein test (no additional sampling is required), and the test results will be displayed in the test report.

Those who have been inoculated of non-inactivated vaccine and have positive IgM results should submit, in addition to the air ticket or itinerary, the "dual-tests" + N protein test report (which can be displayed in one report), the Statement of COVID-19 Vaccination, together with necessary vaccination certificates when applying for the health code. The certificates should be authentic and include the necessary information to help identify the individual, the type of vaccine and the status of vaccination.

c. When reviewing the health code, the Consulate will fully verify the test results with the designated testing agencies, and review the vaccination certificates. If necessary, we will contact the certificate issuer for verification. For those who cannot be confirmed of their inoculation status, make false declaration, or have falsified inoculation certificates or test reports, the health code will not be approved and all responsibilities arising therefrom shall be borne by the parties concerned.

10. Under normal circumstances, the Consulate will complete the procedure of test report verification and issue health code within 12 hours. Please refrain from calling the Consulate for non-emergencies.

11. The validity period of the Health code will be two days after the sample collection date, which means sample collection should be done two days before the departure date of the flight.

Please note that health codes obtained after taking the tests at the designated facilities in Los Angeles are valid only for passengers departing from Los Angeles to China.

12. All passengers departing from Los Angeles to China are required to carry a print out copy of the test reports and present them at the airlines check-in counter along with the valid health code. The airlines may take other measures for pandemic prevention and control purpose, including but not limited to taking body temperature. In case of being declined of boarding, please cooperate and reschedule travel plan.

13. Passengers after taking the tests are advised to minimize unnecessary movements and avoid crowded areas and take effective measures of personal protection especially at airports and other areas where there is a high risk of infection.

In case of any emergency, please call [phone] or

write to [e-mail].

Related: China: Foreign pilot Punished for ....

A foreign captain working for Sichuan Airlines reportedly failed a pre-flight alcohol test recently. He was fined 80,000 yuan ($12,285) and banned from flying for half a year, thepaper.cn reported on Monday. 

The report said the incident happened on March 31, and the rest of the crew members have been replaced as well. 

The case is not unique. On November 6, 2020, a Sichuan Airlines co-pilot also failed to pass the pre-flight alcohol test and was grounded for three months and fined 60,000 yuan, thepaper.cn reported. 

According to the regulations of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, when the breath alcohol concentration test result is greater than 0.000g/210L but less than 0.02g/210L, the pilot will be asked whether he has a history of drinking. 

When the breath alcohol concentration test result is greater than 0.02g/210L, the flight will be directly suspended.

Also, the pilots need to declare their physical condition before performing commercial flights. They also need to undergo physical examinations on the same day, including blood pressure, heart rate, and alcohol inspection. 

China’s civil regulator in March revoked a pilot's license after he got into a fight with a flight attendant during a Donghai Airlines flight.

Source: http://losangeles.china-consulate.org/eng/visa/Notice/t1844902.htm

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/7z2Uu6Zx7EctvQ1oSg1gLw

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