China to scrap quarantine for international travelers in an essential end of zero-Covid
PUBLISHED MON, DEC 26 20229:02 PM EST
Evelyn Cheng
@CHENGEVELYN
KEY POINTS
China announced Monday that starting Jan. 8, 2023, travelers will no longer need to quarantine upon arrival on the mainland.
China said it would improve visa arrangements for foreigners to enter the country for resumption of work, business, study, visiting relatives and other gatherings.
Chinese citizens’ ability to travel overseas will be “resumed in an orderly manner,” the announcement said.
scrap
n. 碎片，小块；丝毫；废料；口角
v. 废弃，取消
resumption
n. 恢复, 重新开始, 继续进行
gathering
n. 聚集，聚会；收集，采集
中国周一宣布，自2023年1月8日起，旅行者抵达大陆时将不再需要隔离。
中国表示，将完善外国人来华复工、复业、学习、探亲和其他聚会的签证安排。
公告称，中国公民出境旅游将“有序恢复”。
Passenger planes sit on the tarmac at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport on Nov. 4, 2022, before China ended Covid-related restrictions on travel.
Future Publishing | Future Publishing | Getty Images
BEIJING — China announced late Monday that travelers will no longer need to quarantine upon arrival on the mainland starting Jan. 8.
The forthcoming shift follows an abrupt relaxation this month in domestic Covid controls. The changes end the bulk of the most restrictive measures that China had imposed for nearly three years under its zero-Covid policy.
abrupt
adj. 突然的, 突如其来的；粗鲁的，鲁莽的；（斜坡等）陡峭的；（文章或讲话等）不流畅的
relaxation
n. 放松, 消遣, 休息, 用于放松消遣的时间
bulk
n. 大宗，大批（买卖）；（大）体积，（大）量；大部分；巨大的一团；巨大的形状
v. 使数量显得更大；显得很重要
这一即将到来的转变是在本月国内Covid控制突然放松之后。这些变化结束了中国在零冠政策下近3年来实施的大部分最严格的限制措施。
Since March 2020, travelers to the mainland have had to quarantine, typically at a designated hotel and for 14 days. That isolation period subsequently began to increase to 21 days or more for some travelers, before China began cutting quarantine times this summer.
designate
v. 指定，选派；标明，指明
adj. 新指定的，新任命的
isolation
n. 隔离，隔离状态；孤独，孤立状态；【电】绝缘，【化】离析(作用)
adj. 孤立主义者的
自2020年3月以来，前往大陆的旅行者必须隔离，通常在指定的酒店隔离14天。随后，对一些旅行者来说，隔离期开始增加到21天或更长时间，直到今年夏天中国开始缩短隔离时间。
Current policy requires five days of quarantine at a centralized facility, followed by three days at home.
facility
n. 设备，设施； 附加服务，附加功能；天赋；娴熟，灵巧
目前的政策要求在集中设施隔离5天，然后在家隔离3天。
China’s National Health Commission also said that effective Jan. 8, authorities would stop tracking close contacts of Covid patients, halt the designation of Covid risk areas and cancel Covid measures that had slowed the import of goods.
中国国家卫生健康委员会还表示，自1月8日起，有关部门将停止跟踪新冠肺炎患者的密切接触者，停止指定新冠肺炎风险地区，并取消阻碍商品进口的新冠肺炎措施。
The commission said travelers to China would only need to show a negative virus test from within the last 48 hours, and wouldn’t have to apply for a clear health code anymore. While on the flight, passengers would need to still wear a face mask, the announcement said.
该委员会表示，前往中国的旅行者只需要出示过去48小时内的病毒检测呈阴性，不再需要申请明确的健康代码。公告称，乘客在飞机上仍需佩戴口罩。
China’s economy slowed this year amid stringent Covid controls that locked down Shanghai for about two months, as well as other parts of the country. Beijing suddenly ended many of the restrictions earlier this month. Meanwhile, local Covid infections surged, pressuring an already stretched public health system.
amid
prep. 在…过程中, 在…中, 四周是
pressure
n. 压力；压强；心理压力；紧迫，催促；大气压
v. 对…施压
adj. 紧迫的
stretch
v. 撑大；伸展，张开；延伸；舒展；绵延，延续
n. 伸展，张开；绵延的一片
由于严格的新冠肺炎控制措施，上海以及中国其他地区被封锁了大约两个月，中国经济今年放缓。本月早些时候，北京突然取消了许多限制措施。与此同时，当地新冠肺炎感染人数激增，给本已紧张的公共卫生系统带来压力。
More flights needed
The inbound quarantine requirement and other Covid-related measures have made it difficult for foreign businesses in China to bring in staff, executives and factory technicians.
inbound
adj. 到达的, 归航的
需要更多航班
入境检疫要求和其他与新冠肺炎相关的措施，使在华外资企业难以引进员工、高管和工厂技术人员。
“Just because the borders are open doesn’t mean travel will bounce back immediately,” Michael Hart, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, said last week.
bounce
v. 弹跳；跳动；（支票等）被拒付退回；拒付，退回（支票等）
n. 弹跳
He noted the number of available flights in and out of China has to recover. “I don’t think the U.S. carriers or the international carriers will immediately go back to normal because those airplanes are already flying other routes,” Hart said. “It may be different with Chinese airlines, because the airplanes are just sitting on the tarmac doing nothing.”
tarmac
n. （用来铺路面的） 柏油碎石；柏油碎石路面（尤指飞机跑道）
v. 以柏油碎石铺筑（路面）
他指出，进出中国的航班数量必须恢复。哈特说:“我不认为美国航空公司或国际航空公司会立即恢复正常，因为这些飞机已经在飞其他航线了。”“中国航空公司的情况可能不同，因为飞机只是停在停机坪上，什么也不做。”
In 2019, China said there were 670 million international trips in and out of the country. In 2021, the number had plunged to 128 million, according to the National Immigration Administration.
plunge
v. （使）突然向前倒下[跌落]；价格、比率等〕暴跌，骤降；〔船〕猛烈地颠簸
n. 突降；俯冲；〔价格、价值等的〕骤降；突然卷入；跳水；〔短时间的〕游泳
2019年，中国表示有6.7亿人次国际旅客进出中国。根据国家移民管理局的数据，到2021年，这一数字已降至1.28亿。
China said Monday it would improve visa arrangements for foreigners to enter the country for resumption of work, business, study, visiting relatives and other gatherings.
Chinese citizens’ ability to travel overseas will be “resumed in an orderly manner,” the announcement said in Chinese, according to a CNBC translation.
During the pandemic, Beijing prevented Chinese citizens from getting passports or leaving the country unless they had a clear, typically business, purpose.
Previously, Chinese tourists and their spending overseas — especially for luxury goods— had been a significant source of income for businesses in many international tourist spots.
Previously
adv. 先前；以前
此前，中国游客及其海外消费——尤其是奢侈品消费——一直是许多国际旅游景点企业的重要收入来源。
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