China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that starting from midnight on March 28, foreign nationals with valid Chinese visas and residence permits will be temporarily barred from entering the country due to the spread of the coronavirus disease overseas.

The ban will prevent most foreigners from entering the PRC and includes the suspension of short-term visas (anywhere from 24 to 144 hours depending on the port of entry). Diplomatic (外交), courtesy (礼遇) and service (C字) visas won’t be impacted, according to the ministry. 

Recently, China’s health authorities have implemented strict measures to test and quarantine all international arrivals as imported cases of COVID-19 have risen to more than 500 in China.

As of Thursday, there are more than 484,000 total confirmed cases and nearly 22,000 deaths worldwide, according to Chinese health information platform Ding Xiang Doctor.

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[Cover image via @rottonara/Pixabay]