China won’t require COVID-19 testing for incoming travelers starting Wednesday

BEIJING (AP) — China will no longer require a negative COVID-19 test result from incoming travelers starting Wednesday. It is a milestone toward ending the virus restrictions imposed in China since early 2020. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin announced the change at a briefing Monday. China ended its “zero-COVID” policy only in December, after years of draconian curbs that at times included full-city lockdowns and lengthy quarantines for people who were infected. As part of those measures, incoming travelers were required to quarantine for weeks at government-designated hotels. The curbs slowed the world’s second-largest economy, leading to rising unemployment and rare instances of unrest.