This is where the Covid rules for travelers from China are changing

BEIJING — Several countries have announced new Covid testing requirements for travelers arriving from China after the mainland said it would eventually relax border controls.

Japan was the first country to then introduce the rule changes, followed by the United States and others. The number of Covid-19 infections has increased this month in mainland China, but there is little public data.

Here are some of the latest policy changes for travelers from China:

Starting January 5, all airline passengers 2 years of age or older originating from Mainland China, Hong Kong or Macao will be required upon departure to the United States to show a negative Covid-19 test result results within the past two days, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released Wednesday.

The rules apply to people of all nationalities and immunization statuses.

A federal health official told reporters that testing has dropped across China and it’s unclear which variant is circulating in the mainland because genomic surveillance data is also limited.

During January, all travelers from mainland China via direct flight or boat will need to tested for Covid-19 upon arrival in Taiwan, The local Centers for Disease Control said Wednesday.

The notice said that people who test positive can isolate at home.

The rules do not apply to flights from Hong Kong or Macao.

All travelers from China to Italy will need to receive test for covid-19even if only in transit, the European nation’s health minister said on Wednesday.

The minister said the country would also conduct virus sequencing, but did not say what would happen to travelers who tested positive.

Health authorities in the regions near Milan and Rome said travelers who test positive will have to quarantined in designated buildings, Reuters reported.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Thursday Australia was not adding restrictions on visitors from China, according to an official transcript of his interview with Australian Broadcasting Corp.

Albanese said Australia would monitor the situation in China and other countries, as well as receive “appropriate advice” from health professionals. “Our priority is to keep Australians as safe as possible,” he said.

Omicron — which is more contagious but causes less severe illness — became the dominant Covid variant globally last year. Most of the world went into a state of living with the virus months before China ended many of its Covid control measures this month.

Starting January 8, domestic tourists to Mainland China will No longer need to quarantine upon arrival, Beijing announced on Monday. Visitors still need to have tested negative for Covid-19 within the last 48 hours.

Chinese authorities also said they would improve the visa process for foreigners, and resume applications for passports by Chinese nationals to travel abroad, including tourism. No exact timeframe has been specified.

—CNBC Jihye Lee and Spencer Kimball contributed to this report.