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China Likely to Ban All U.S. Flights for at Least Two Weeks

From next week, the country will keep incoming flights to a minimum to try to keep COVID out ahead of the Winter Olympics.

China is likely to ban all commercial flights from the U.S. for at least two weeks as part of a herculean effort to keep COVID out of the country before the Beijing Winter Olympics. According to Chinese government announcements and flight schedules collated by CNN, most flights from Jan. 19 onward have already been canceled or are likely to be suspended. On top of that, China, which is pursuing an ambitious “zero COVID” policy, implemented a rule in June that forces any flight to be suspended for two weeks if at least five passengers test positive for COVID upon arrival. Athletes competing in the Games, which begin Feb. 4, will most likely be taking special flights restricted to people with Olympics credentials.