Returning to Beijing Post-16th March from Overseas Go back »

2020-03-17 | Beijing

After a hasty announcement mere hours before their implementation from 16th March 2020, Beijing brought into force new quarantine restrictions on all international travelers coming into the city. Initially, the measures required all arriving to quarantine in a government-approved facility for 14 days at their own expense. Throughout the first day of implementation, several clarifications were made. Beijing residents over 70 can instead self-quarantine at home with all other occupants for 14 days. Those with their own apartment in Beijing and without roommates can self-quarantine there with pre-approval from the local authorities.

European Chamber Policy and Communications Manager, Jacob Gunter, was flying to Beijing via Taipei when the new measure was announced, and went through the process. Below is a summary, followed by a more detailed walkthrough of that process as experienced by Jacob on 16th March.

This article is not meant to be a legal guide or necessarily represent how the process will develop in the coming days, but instead aims to give readers an impression of the whole chain of steps and what to generally expect/plan for.

Summary

My flight arrived in Beijing at 11:20 a.m. on 16th March. Below is a general outline of the main steps after landing and how long each one took. The whole process took just over 12 hours from landing in Beijing to entering my room in the designated quarantine hotel.

2 Hours: Wait on the tarmac as some individuals are removed from the aircraft

1 Hour: Deplane, submit health form, go through temperature monitoring, go through customs and security check

1.5 Hours: Wait for your flight to be called for baggage claim

1.5 hours: Wait for a bus, load up luggage, be driven to the Exhibition Centre 7 to be assigned hotel

1.5 Hours: Fill in paperwork, wait for an official to process you, select your hotel, wait for transportation to hotel

3 Hours: Drive to hotel while dropping off self-quarantine-certified passengers

1.5 Hours: Decontaminate at hotel, fill in paperwork, learn procedures, check in

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