According to a press release from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on December 28, all incoming air passengers from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) will be required to present a negative COVID-19 test or documentation of recovery in order to enter or transit through the United States starting at 12:01 AM on January 5.
The requirement extends to persons of any nationality who are 2 years of age or older arriving in the US on flights that originated in the PRC, Hong Kong, or Macau, regardless of the passenger’s vaccination status. The requirement also extends to those traveling from the PRC through a transit country prior to arriving in the US, and those connecting through the USA to other destinations.
The test must be administered and monitored by a licensed healthcare provider or telehealth specialist, and be taken no more than two days prior to the passenger’s departure from the PRC, Hong Kong, or Macau. The test can be either a PCR test or rapid antigen test. Those who have tested positive for COVID-19 more than 10 days prior to departure can provide documentation of recovery instead of a negative test result.
In addition, passengers transiting through Incheon International Airport, Toronto Pearson International Airport, and Vancouver International Airport on their way to the USA will be required to provide a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than two days prior to departure if they have been in the PRC within the last 10 days, regardless of the country they are flying from.
The CDC has not yet announced how long this requirement will remain in place.
USA Visitors Insurance
It is highly suggested that all visitors to the USA from China or any other international location purchase visitors medical insurance. Healthcare prices in the USA are extremely high, and you will be responsible for paying for the full cost of treatment if you get sick or injured in the USA and do not have insurance coverage.
As foreign health insurance is typically not accepted or sufficient in the USA, and visitors cannot be covered by the health insurance of a family member already living in the USA, visitors medical insurance is the best option to allow you to get necessary treatment for an affordable price.