Three Chinese airlines have announced that a passenger from Taiwan who submits a nucleic acid test report for the new coronavirus with the words “Wuhan pneumonia” instead of the WHO-designated novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) will have the test report deemed invalid. Travelers will therefore be refused entry. Sources said that Hong Kong officials have also stepped up efforts to block the use of the term Wuhan pneumonia, and reporters asked questions containing this word were advised by officials to use other words instead.
According to Free Asia, Taiwanese travelers whose nucleic acid test reports include the words “Wuhan pneumonia” will be banned from entering China. China’s International Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines and China Southern Airlines each announced the rule on Thursday (Dec. 17). All three airlines operate round-trip flights between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.
Currently, passengers are required to show proof of a negative nucleic acid test to travel to China. In a “warm reminder” published by China Southern Airlines, it said that the WHO has issued a correct name for New Coronary Pneumonia (COVID-19) and asked passengers to pay attention to the standard name used in the nucleic acid test certificates provided by medical institutions to avoid misuse of other names, which will result in denial of entry.
International Airlines and Shenzhen Airlines said in their business circulars that if the words “Wuhan pneumonia” appear on the test report, it will be considered invalid and will directly affect passengers’ travel and customs clearance.
Since Oct. 12, passengers from Taiwan traveling to China must report a negative nucleic acid test result made 72 hours before boarding.
According to Free Asia, there is currently no unified name for the new coronavirus disease in Taiwan, with President Tsai Ing-wen basically using the term “new coronavirus pneumonia” instead of “Wuhan pneumonia,” but Executive President Su Tseng-chang, as well as government officials, public representatives and Taiwanese media, still mostly use the term “Wuhan pneumonia” directly.
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