​China will end mandatory quarantine upon arrival in the country on January 8, ending a strict “zero Covid” policy that isolated the country for nearly three years, AFP reports.

The decision comes as China faces a surge in cases after lifting most medical restrictions earlier this month.

The Health Commission, which acts as a ministry, said on Monday night that from next month, entry into China will only require a negative test, with a maximum of 48 hours.

China is the only major economy that continues to impose quarantines on arrivals, affecting tourism, even though their length has been reduced in recent months.

Now 5 days in the hotel, then 3 days of observation at home.

The Health Commission has indicated that it no longer considers Covid-19 to be “pneumonia” but a less dangerous “infectious” disease.

According to the authorities, this new sanitary classification no longer justifies quarantine.

The Health Commission also mentioned the gradual resumption of overseas travel by Chinese, but did not announce a timetable. Previously, only trips for valid reasons were allowed.

Since 2020, the country’s borders remain almost completely closed to foreigners.

Easing, as opposed to a strong wave of Covid cases

China has stopped issuing tourist visas for almost three years, and international air travel has dropped sharply.

On December 7, China abandoned most of the measures amid growing public outrage and a significant impact on the economy.

Since then, the number of cases has skyrocketed, raising fears of high mortality among the elderly, who are particularly vulnerable.

Many crematoria interviewed by AFP reported an unusually high influx of corpses.

This situation is largely ignored by the Chinese media.

Hospitals are also overcrowded and flu medicine is harder to find in pharmacies as the country learns to live with the virus.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday ordered to “build a bulwark” against Covid-19 and “protect” lives in China.

This is his first public comment after refusing most medical measures.

According to estimates from several Western studies, the lifting of restrictions could lead to the death of about a million people in the coming months.

On Sunday, China announced it would no longer publish Covid statistics. They were widely criticized, as this decision was made at a time when a powerful wave of the epidemic swept through the country.