In the United States from next January 5, 2023 the obligation to present the negative result of a swab for passengers who land on an aircraft arriving from China at an American airport. Both antigen and molecular tests are valid. The requirement will also apply to travelers departing from Hong Kong and Macao, and transiting through stopovers in third countries such as Seoul (South Korea), Toronto and Vancouver (Canada).

"There is growing concern in the international community about the ongoing Covid-19 wave in China also due to the lack of transparent data, including sequencing". "We know that these measures will not eliminate all risks, nor will they prevent infected people from entering the United States", but "they will help limit the number of people infected and give us timely signals on new variants", said a spokesman for the Health System federal, on the occasion of the announcement relating to the introduction of restrictions on international air connections.

The tests must be carried out in the 48 hours prior to boarding. US health officials explained that the date of January 5, 2023 was chosen to give air carriers the time they need to implement the new rules within their operations. Washington's choice is determined by Beijing's lack of transparency on the real situation of infections in the country.