China’s Customs authority announced on August 25 the launch of the 9th edition of the entry and exit health declaration form and said that cross-border travelers will soon no longer need to report their COVID-19 nucleic acid test results, previous infection history and vaccination dates when going through Customs.The General Administration of Customs said that the new form, which will be put into use on Aug 31, is aimed at bringing convenience to international visitors and increasing the efficiency of health declaration work at customs.
Meanwhile, it stressed that the change does not mean the relaxation of virus control requirements, as China is still adhering to its dynamic zero-COVID strategy that emphasizes the rapid control of new domestic infection clusters and Customs officials will continue to guard against imported cases, it said.
The administration said inbound travelers will still need to provide negative test results before boarding, in line with the requirements of local foreign affairs authorities. They will receive a health inspection when clearing Customs and undergo centralized isolation and health monitoring upon their arrival.
The latest version of the card, which will be available on mobile phone applications as well as on paper, has also become easier to understand and complete, the administration said.
Because incoming travelers will have to take a number of nucleic acid tests at airports and in centralized isolation, the new version also adds a function to ask for consent to take samples, which is aimed at streamlining on-site quarantine procedures, said the administration.
