BEIJING: Beijing’s sudden pivot away from containing coronavirus has caused jitters across the world, with the United States saying it may restrict travel from China and Italy, India, Japan and several other countries making Covid screening mandatory for all travellers from China.

Several countries have expressed concerns about the potential for new variants to emerge as China battles the world’s biggest surge in infections.

US officials said they were considering Covid entry restrictions on travellers from China, after countries including India, Japan, Malaysia and Italy introduced Covid testing on arrival for Chinese passengers.

China’s loosening of measures effectively brought the curtain down on a zero-Covid regime of mass testing, lockdowns and long quarantines that has stalled its economy and triggered large-scale nationwide protests.

“Currently the development of China’s epidemic situation is overall predictable and under control,” foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Wednesday.

“Hyping, smearing and political manipulation with ulterior motives can’t stand the test of facts,” Wang added, calling Western media reporting on China’s Covid surge “completely biased”.

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2022