The Ministry of Health has announced new travel requirements for persons travelling from the People’s Republic of China. This is in tangent with the prevalence of variants of the SARS-CoC-2 virus which continue to emerge worldwide.
The Ministry of Health said that in light of the present surge in COVID-19 cases in certain parts of the globe, and to decrease the chances of the variant entering, a mandatory travel requirement has been instituted immediately.
The government body said it will be implementing a requirement for a negative COVID-19 test no less than 48 hours or documentation of recovery for all passengers (2 years and older) traveling directly or in transit to Guyana from the People’s Republic of China, and the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong, or Macau.
The ministry added that starting from January 8, 2023, all passengers two years and older, originating from the People’s Republic of China will be required to get a COVID-19 test (such as a PCR test or an antigen) no more than 2 days before their departure from the PRC, Hong Kong, or Macau, and show a bona fide negative test result to the airline/carrier upon departure.
It further noted that the requirement applies to all passengers, regardless of nationality, and vaccination status. This will also apply to persons traveling from the PRC [China] via third-country transit and to passengers on connecting flights to Guyana.
Passengers who tested positive more than 10 days before the flight can provide documentation of recovery from COVID-19 in lieu of a negative test result.
Airlines and other ports must confirm the negative COVID-19 test results or documentation of recovery for all passengers before they board or deny boarding to non-compliant passengers.
The Ministry of Health noted that the requirement to show a bona fide negative test result has been shown to decrease the number of infected passengers boarding airlines and it will help to slow the spread of the virus as we work to identify and understand any potential new variant that may emerge.
The Ministry of Health said it will continue to monitor travel patterns, and adjust its approach as needed.
