Skip to main content

England to end pre-departure COVID-19 test rule for arrivals from China

Share
LONDON -

The British government said it would end the requirement for people flying from mainland China to England to provide proof of a negative pre-departure COVID-19 test from April 5.

From Friday, the U.K. Health Security Agency’s voluntary, on-arrival testing program of travelers arriving from China to London’s Heathrow airport will also end, the government said.

"The removal of these measures comes as China has increased information sharing regarding testing, vaccination and genomic sequencing results, providing greater transparency on their domestic disease levels," the health department said in a statement.

The temporary measures were introduced in January, with the Heathrow testing aimed at helping strengthen Britain's ability to rapidly detect potential new variants circulating in China.

The government said a total of 3,374 had been tested as part of this program to date, an average of 99 people per flight. In all, 14 positive cases were identified, none of which were variants of concern.

The latest international data indicates the COVID-19 variants observed in China continue to be the same as those already circulating in the U.K., it added.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

MPs targeted by Chinese hackers question why Canada didn't tell them

Members of Parliament are questioning why Canadian security officials did not inform them that they had been the target of Beijing-linked hackers, after learning from the FBI that the international parliamentary alliance they are a part of was in the crosshairs of the Chinese cyberattack in 2021.

WATCH

WATCH So you haven't filed your taxes yet…

The clock is ticking ahead of the deadline to file a 2024 income tax return. A personal finance expert explains why you should get them done -- even if you owe more than you can pay.

Local Spotlight

Stay Connected