China International Import Expo attendees from abroad must undergo 21-day quarantine

A volunteer poses at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in suburban Qingpu District [SHINE]
A volunteer poses at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in suburban Qingpu District [SHINE]
SHINE | 27-Oct-2021 | By Yang Jian

All participants attending the 4th China International Import Expo in November must undergo a 21-day quarantine along with multiple tests for COVID-19, the city government announced on Wednesday. Attendees from abroad will be subject to a 14-day central quarantine at designated hotels and a seven-day self-quarantine before entering the CIIE, which will be held at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in suburban Qingpu District from November 5 to 10.

Participants also must provide a negative nucleic acid test certificate they received within two days before arriving in the city. The city’s health commission has set up 37 nucleic acid test spots across key local hospitals with fast channels for those with CIIE certificates. Participants and service staff can undergo the testing at the spots from Friday to November 11. Eight spots at five local medical institutes will offer testing service around the clock.

The city government released the general COVID-19 prevention plan for the CIIE on Wednesday, with detailed stipulations for participants from home and abroad as well as all staff members. All domestic participants must finish the full COVID-19 vaccination at least two weeks before entering the exhibition venue. Domestic expo visitors from high-risk regions or those who have been there within 21 days should not come to the city. Important foreign guests and domestic participants from medium- or high-risk regions will be required to stay in designated hotels. All participants and staff must conduct daily self-health observation during the CIIE. Anyone with temperatures above 37.3 degrees Celsius or symptoms such as a fever or cough are banned from entering the CIIE venue.

They are also required to register and apply for a Suishenma, or the city’s digital ID, before entering the expo site. They also must submit vaccination records, nucleic acid test reports and Suishenma to an online personnel management system of the CIIE. The capacity of the exhibition halls will be limited to half of their maximum during the expo. The scale of events and number of participants will be strictly controlled in the exhibition center.

All attendees must wear masks, with entry times staged. Reservations are required, and limitation on entries will be imposed to control the number of visitors. No frozen or fresh food is allowed to be sold in the exhibition zone. Tasting of uncooked food will be forbidden. Participants and staff members are urged to avoid heading to crowded public areas outside of the expo while they should obey local COVID-19 prevention stipulations. Citywide, Shanghai will build four COVID-19 prevention barriers on the border, city, region and exhibition zone to minimize risks and ensure smooth operation of the CIIE, the plan states.

Citizens are still required to wear masks when taking public transport. They must receive temperature checks at Metro stations and parking lots near the CIIE venue. The stipulations will be adjusted according to the development of the pandemic, according to the city government.