China still requires international passengers to take pre-departure COVID-19 tests and quarantine upon arrival, the customs office said on Friday, a day after dropping some reporting requirements for travellers clearing customs.
China, which has shortened the quarantine period and removed some testing and self-isolation requirements for inbound international travellers, still has some of the world's most stringent COVID-19 policies.
Chinese customs said it had removed the requirements for travellers to report COVID tests, previous infections and vaccination dates when they clear customs, to make entry more convenient.
"This is not an easing of COVID control," the customs office said in a clarifying statement on Friday, referring to the change in the reporting rules.
"There is no substantial change to COVID requirements for inbound travellers."
Travellers intending to enter China from other countries still have to report tests and other COVID-related information to Chinese embassies to get digital health credentials to board their flights, according to embassy websites.
The number of international flights in and out of China has remained low compared with the pre-pandemic era, complicating the travel plans of many.
The UN Human Rights Office said on Friday nearly 70 per cent of the fatalities it has verified in the Gaza war were women and children, and condemned what it called a systematic violation of the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law.
Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki erupted several times on Friday, belching volcanic ash that rose up to 10 km (32,800 ft) into the sky, officials said, following a big eruption on Sunday night that killed nine people.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed two rescue planes to Amsterdam after being informed of "a very violent incident" targeting Israeli citizens, his office said on Friday.
Pakistan's Punjab banned entry to many public spaces from Friday, including parks and zoos, as it sought to protect people from severe air pollution in parts of the eastern province.
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