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The U.S. Embassy in Beijing is urging American citizens to postpone travel to and within China as the country continues to enforce its strict “zero-COVID” policies that risk blocking access to essentials like food, water, and medicine.
The embassy said in a Nov. 30 advisory that the quickly changing situation with COVID-19 in China and Beijing’s continued enforcement of strict policies to curb the spread of the virus could lead to interruptions in the supply of food, water, medicine, and other essentials.
Ambassador Nicholas Burns said in a Twitter post that the embassy is monitoring the COVID situation across China and assisting U.S. citizens “experiencing challenges due to lockdowns & restrictions.”
It comes as the number of infections in China has remained near record highs and as authorities have continued to impose various COVID-19 prevention and control measures, including mass testing and quarantines.
Travel within China remains “extremely difficult” while rules relating to COVID-19 containment change frequently, the embassy said. It cautioned that Chinese officials could force people to stay in their residences for long periods of time without any advance warning.
“Access to medical care may be limited due to lockdowns,” the embassy said, while the ability of U.S. citizens to leave China is “limited and expensive.”
The embassy advised Americans to postpone trips to and within China unless their travel is essential.
