Experts say a lack of data makes it difficult to assess the risk of potential new Covid strains with travel to the long sealed-off country set to resume
As China abruptly dropped some of its toughest Covid-19 restrictions – including scrapping quarantine rules for travellers – virologists are watching nervously to see how this may impact Covid-19 variants and their global spread, with some countries already ramping up precautionary measures.
The decision on Monday to drop quarantine for overseas visitors from 8 January has prompted concerns about the potential for new variants beyond China’s borders. Japan and India are among the countries that have introduced measures to prevent an influx of cases.