"Passengers arriving from China to England from 5 January will need to show a negative Covid-19 pre-departure test (PDT) taken no more than two days prior to departure. Although there are no direct flights from China to Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, we are working with devolved nations to ensure this is implemented UK-wide as soon as possible," the health department said in a Friday statement.
According to the release, a sample of people arriving in England from China will be tested for COVID-19 to monitor for new variants.
"...the UK Health Security Agency is launching surveillance from Sunday 8 January which will see a sample of passengers arriving in England from mainland China tested for Covid at the point of their arrival," the health department said.
Earlier on Friday, France announced that starting from January 1, all plane passengers traveling from China to France will be required to present negative COVID-19 test results and will be tested again upon arrival. According to Clement Beaune, the Minister Delegate for Transport of France, face masks will be mandatory on all flights from China.
On Wednesday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that, starting from January 5, the United States was going to require international travelers coming from China to test negative for COVID-19 prior to entering the country.
Italy and Spain, as well as several other countries, have also introduced precautionary measures amid a surge in coronavirus cases in China, where harsh COVID-19 restrictions were eased at the start of December.