The United States of America has joined the growing list of nations that have implemented travel restrictions on Chinese citizens.
In response to accusations levelled against Beijing by the World Health Organization (WHO), US Vice President Joe Biden voiced his concern over the current state of the COVID virus in China. According to the WHO, China was not accurately reporting the number of people who died from the virus, were admitted to hospitals, or were treated in intensive care units.
However, the United States joined the list of countries that have imposed limitations on passengers from China after China dropped its stringent “Zero COVID policy” over three years after it had been in place. According to reports, hospitals in China are reaching capacity, and the rise has also swamped the funeral homes located around the country.
Joe Biden made the following statement regarding China’s response to the epidemic: “They’re very sensitive… when we say that they haven’t been that transparent.”
As Beijing continues to play down the seriousness of the COVID issue, the city announced one death due to the outbreak on the mainland on Wednesday, bringing the official mortality total to 5,259, This is a decrease from the five deaths recorded on Tuesday.
While officials from the European Union have urged that travellers from China should have a negative test before they begin their flights, certain nations have mandated that tourists coming from China must be screened for COVID before they may continue on their journeys. In addition, countries have begun testing and sequencing wastewater on planes arriving from China as well as at airports that handle international flights due to concerns regarding the newly emerged strain. Beijing has voiced its disapproval of the limits, deeming them illogical and lacking in scientific basis.