In an effort to open up international travel, China has urged the U.S. to recognize Covid-19 vaccines and allow free travel between the two countries directly to those vaccinated.
Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Chief Epidemiologist Wu Zunyou said China and the US should work together to lift travel restrictions in August or September when the U.S. is expected to reach herd protection , recommending that priority be given to official, travel industry and overseas research.
Wu explained his recommendation to the state-run Global Times Tuesday, saying the plan of free travel between China and the U.S. should include mutual recognition of vaccines and restrict free travel for those vaccinated.
Free travel should be allowed for official and business purposes and study abroad and then all forms of travel should be covered, Wu said.
This is the first time Beijing has made a case for recognizing vaccines for free travel without quarantines.
The U.S. is likely to vaccinate about 80 percent of its population by June and 90 percent by August, reaching herd protection, Wu said Monday at an online forum about U.S. cooperation. and China on Covid-19 prevention and treatment organized by the Washington-based Brookings Institution and Tsinghua University in Beijing.
“If that is the case and if we could remove all political barriers, based solely on science, then both countries may be the first two countries to lift travel restrictions together,” “Wu said.
Read also: Aim to vaccinate 40% of citizens by the end of July: China
Currently, China has allowed limited or no-flight flights with various countries, including India, as well as visa waivers.
Thousands of Indian students enrolled in Chinese universities and several Indians working in China are involved in India due to travel restrictions with China.
Those arriving by plane through third countries must go through a mandatory 14-day quarantine and another seven days if they want to travel to Beijing.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified US-based Pfizer and Moderna vaccines as well as UK-based AstraZeneca jobs. However, the WHO has not yet confirmed five of the Chinese vaccines currently authorized by Beijing for emergency use.
Optimistic viewers of borders are opening up for international travel as the Covid-19 vaccine campaign gains worldwide mobility.
The U.S. is the worst-affected country for coronavirus with 514,660 associated deaths and more than 28 million confirmed cases, according to Johns Hopkins University.
In China, Covid-19 has claimed 4,836 lives with more than 100,000 confirmed cases, the coronavirus resource said.