Medical Tourism News
Asia lifts pandemic restrictions
Asian countries are dropping rules , except for China
Starting October 11 , Japan will allow individual tourists from certain nations to enter the country without a visa and daily arrival cap .
The government is also planning a travel discount programme to revive the industry after more than two years of financial losses due to the pandemic . �I want to support the travel , entertainment and other industries that have been struggling during the coronavirus pandemic ,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said at the UN General Assembly , according to the Japan Times .
The discount programme will offer reduced prices for travel , entry to theme parks , sporting events , and concerts for people who have received three doses of a C��ID-�9 vaccine or a negative test result .
Similarly , effective September 2� , Hong �ong will no long re�uire hotel �uarantine for travellers . Instead , after a PC� test on arrival , they will undergo three days of medical surveillance at home or a hotel of their choice while being free to go about their daily activities with some minor restrictions . ��cials also announced that the pre-�ight PC� test re�uirement will be replaced by a self-administered rapid antigen test ( RAT ) while non-vaccinated residents will also be allowed to enter , according to the Hong �ong SA� government .
Though visitors still need to adhere to pandemic rules like taking a series of �AT and PC� C��ID-�9 tests during their first week , the changes represent a major welcome shift from the stark restrictions enforced in the city since the pandemic broke out , leaving Mainland China as the only economy in the region with a �ero-C��ID policy aimed at stamping out all C��ID-�9 cases .
While the stringent approach has been credited for saving many lives in China , it will be hard to maintain over the long term , experts say .
��ou can ’ t become a hermit for the next five , �0 years , because the virus isn ’ t going away ,” Dr Peter Collignon , professor of infectious diseases at the Australian National University ’ s Medical School , told Bloomberg .
Thailand extends period of stay for tourists
The move will last until March
The Tourism Authority of Thailand has extended the time tourists with a visa exemption can stay in the country from 30 to 45 days . The new rule will last from October 1 until March 31 and aims to attract more visitors during the high season .
A similar change has been made for visitors who can apply for visa on arrival , extending their stay to 30 days from the previous 15 .
Travellers , however , will still need to follow certain pandemic rules . “ Thailand warmly welcomes travellers from all countries / territories with proof of either a certificate of vaccination or , for unvaccinated individuals a negative RT-PCR or professional ATK test result within 72 hours of travel . These can be in a print or digital format . Random checks will be made on arrivals at Thailand ’ s international airports or land border checkpoints ,” reads a statement by the Tourism Authority of Thailand .
The new rules could also boost medical tourism to the country , a sector that is already seeing positive growth . Bangkok Dusit Medical Services , the country ’ s biggest healthcare provider , expects an increase in international patient arrivals , according to Bloomberg . Chief �xecutive ��cer Poramaporn Prasarttong- Osoth said the group ’ s foreign patient numbers had already reached 90 percent of pre-pandemic levels . “ The return of overseas patients has provided some support to our earnings even as the improving outbreak cuts Covid-related service revenue ,” he said .
26 SEPTEMBER 2022 GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com