Travellers from China to Australia will be required to take a pre-departure COVID-19 test and show evidence of a negative result, the government has announced.
China has seen skyrocketing COVID case numbers, and a range of other countries including the United Kingdom, the United States and France have also imposed testing requirements.
Australia's health minister, Mark Butler, said this decision taken was out of an "abundance of caution" and a temporary measure due to concerns about a lack of detailed information about the epidemiological situation in China.
During a meeting with Chinese officials, the World Health Organization called on China to regularly share specific and real-time data on its epidemiological situation.
"That lack of comprehensive information has led a number of countries in recent days to put in place various measures — not to restrict travel from China, it's important to say — but to gather better information about what is happening epidemiologically in that country," Mr Butler said.
The requirements will come into effect at 12:01am on Thursday, ahead of the expected lifting of Chinese travel restrictions on January 8.
Travellers from China will be required to undertake a test within 48 hours prior to travel and show evidence of a negative result.
Mr Butler said the government warmly welcomes visitors from China, and Australia was "well positioned right now in the fight against COVID".
"The resumption of travel between China and Australia poses no immediate public health threat to Australians," he said.
Mr Butler said universities and the tourism industry will also welcome the resumption of travel from China, as would people who have long been separated from their family and friends.
"We know there are many many hundreds of thousands of Chinese Australians who have been unable to see family and friends for months — and, in some cases, years — and their ability to do that over the coming period will be a matter of considerable joy for them, particularly as we head into the Lunar New Year period," he said.
Mr Butler said that, although the subvariant that appears to be driving the wave in China was already present in Australia, the situation was "developing very quickly".
"There are concerns, in an environment of cases spreading so quickly, about the possibility of the emergence of a new variant," he said.
"Now there's no evidence of that right now.
"This is a measure taken out of an abundance of caution to provide Australians and the Australian government with the best possible information about a fast-evolving situation."
Mr Butler said the Chinese government was informed about the measures this morning.
"It won't come as any surprise to the Chinese government that Australia is putting this arrangement in place, I don't think, given the broad range of countries that have taken similar steps over the last 48 to 72 hours," he said.
The federal opposition has supported the move, but called for the health advice that underpinned the decision to be released.
"The opposition strongly supports any measures that protects the lives and livelihoods of Australians," opposition health spokeswoman Anne Ruston said.
"However, the Labor Government still has not released any health advice that they have received on this matter.
"The opposition will seek a briefing from the chief medical officer on this decision but the Labor Government must be transparent with the public, and release the health modelling and advice."
