Coronavirus: Canada, Australia, Morocco add to Covid restrictions on Chinese travellers

As Covid-19 cases in China continue to rise, hospitals in many cities have started working overtime during New Year's day to fight against the epidemic, Global Times reported. All employees of the Third Municipal Hospital of Qinhuangdao in China's Hebei province cancelled their vacations during the New Year's day holidays in 2023 to address the needs of patients undergoing medical treatment, Global Times reported citing a notice released on the WeChat account of the hospital on Thursday.

Singapore reported 542 new cases of Covid-19 on Sunday, bringing the total tally to 2,202,756. A total of 76 cases are currently warded in hospitals, with two of them held in intensive care units, according to statistics released by the Ministry of Health, Xinhua news agency reported.

Large crowds thronged popular boulevards, tourist hubs and entertainment centres across India and many joined special prayers at places of worship on Sunday as people stepped out to celebrate the New Year without Covid restrictions.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has said that the country's economy is in a better state than before the COVID-19 pandemic and his government will work to ensure its continuous growth. “The Covid-19 pandemic no longer determines how we live our lives. We have been able to shelter society's most vulnerable from its worst effects," Ramaphosa said in his New Year's address on Saturday.

As per a bulletin issued by the civic body, the toll remained unchanged at 19,746, while the count of recoveries reached 11,35,347, after nine patients were discharged. Mumbai had on Saturday reported two cases and zero fatality.

Taiwan on Sunday offered to help China fight against a massive upsurge in Covid-19 cases after Beijing's abruptly abandoned its restrictive zero-Covid stance, reported CNN. Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen said the self-ruled democratic island is willing to provide assistance to help China deal with its Covid surge.

Amid a record increase in Covid-19 infections in China, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that the US would require a negative Covid-19 test from all travellers arriving in the country from China as well as those from Hong Kong and Macau, reported ABC News.

Facing the eighth wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, Japan on Sunday reported the number of coronavirus-related deaths at 247. The country reported 86,924 new coronavirus cases, down 20,541 from Saturday, reports Japan Today. Tokyo, the capital, reported 9,186 new cases, down 2,003 from Saturday. The number of infected people hospitalised with severe symptoms in Tokyo was 45 while the nationwide figure was 592, up four from Saturday, according to health officials.

Thousands of Chinese took to the streets to mark the New Year as authorities and state media sought to reassure the public that the COVID-19 outbreak sweeping across the country was under control and nearing its peak.

Though many people in major cities have continued to isolate as the virus spreads through the population, New Year revelries appeared to be mostly unaffected as people celebrated the end of 2022 and the turn into 2023.

In Wuhan, where the coronavirus was first identified at the end of 2019, residents said anxieties about the impact of easing strict zero-COVID restrictions to live with the disease had now abated - at least for the young and healthy.

Australia on Sunday became the latest country to demand travellers from China provide a negative Covid-19 test before arrival, citing a "lack of comprehensive information" from Beijing about the country's wave of cases Health Minister Mark Butler said the move -- which will take effect from January 5 -- was being made "to safeguard Australia from the risk of potential new emerging variants" and "in recognition of the rapidly evolving situation in China".

Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen extended an olive branch to Beijing on Sunday, pledging to offer assistance if needed as coronavirus cases surge in China after its abrupt lifting of pandemic restrictions. "As long as there is a need, we are willing to provide necessary assistance based on humanitarian concerns," Tsai said in her customary New Year's Day speech. She added that she hoped Taiwanese aid could "help more people out of the pandemic and have a healthy and safe New Year". China is facing an explosion of Covid-19 cases after dropping its stringent "zero-Covid" containment policy last month, three years after the coronavirus first emerged in the city of Wuhan.

Authorities around the world are imposing or considering curbs on travellers from China as Covid-19 cases in the country surge following its relaxation of "zero-Covid" rules. They cite a lack of information from China on variants and are concerned about a wave of infections. China has rejected criticism of its Covid data and said it expects future mutations to be potentially more transmissible but less severe. Below is a list of regulations for travellers from China.

Australia on Sunday became the latest country to announce travellers from China would require a negative Covid-19 test before arrival, citing a "lack of comprehensive information" from Beijing about a wave of cases hitting the country.Health Minister Mark Butler said the move -- which will take effect from January 5 -- was being made "to safeguard Australia from the risk of potential new emerging variants" and "in recognition of the rapidly evolving situation in China".

China reported one new COVID-19 death in the mainland for Dec. 31, the same as a day earlier, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said on Saturday. The accumulated official death toll in China now stands at 5,249.

Canada said Saturday it would require travelers arriving from China to show a negative Covid-19 test, following similar moves by the United States and others. Given the rapid rise in coronavirus infections in China, Canada will require travelers boarding a flight from China to show a negative Covid test taken no more than two days before their departure with their boarding pass, according to a statement. Ottawa said the measure was "in response to the surge of Covid-19 in the People's Republic of China and given the limited epidemiological and viral genomic sequence data available on these cases." The rule will come into force from January 5 and be reassessed after 30 days.