Health News Roundup: China's Zhejiang has 1 million daily COVID cases, expected to double; India makes COVID test mandatory for arrivals from some countries, including China and more

Despite a record surge of cases nationwide, China reported no COVID deaths on the mainland for the five days through Saturday, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said on Sunday. India makes COVID test mandatory for arrivals from some countries, including China India has mandated a COVID-19 negative test report for travelers arriving from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand, the health minister said on Saturday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

China's Zhejiang has 1 million daily COVID cases, expected to double

China's Zhejiang, a big industrial province near Shanghai, is battling around a million new daily COVID-19 infections, a number expected to double in the days ahead, the provincial government said on Sunday. Despite a record surge of cases nationwide, China reported no COVID deaths on the mainland for the five days through Saturday, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said on Sunday.

India makes COVID test mandatory for arrivals from some countries, including China

India has mandated a COVID-19 negative test report for travelers arriving from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand, the health minister said on Saturday. Passengers from those countries would be put under quarantine if they showed symptoms of COVID-19 or tested positive, Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said.

Hong Kong announces planned border re-opening with China as Omicron surges at Christmas

China, grappling with a new wave of COVID-19 infections, took another step towards loosening its pandemic-related restrictions on Saturday when Hong Kong's leader announced it would aim to re-open its borders with the mainland by mid-January. Speaking at a news conference upon returning from Beijing, Hong Kong Chief executive John Lee said authorities would aim to "gradually, orderly, and fully" re-open all entry points between the two sides, and coordinate with the government of nearby Shenzhen to manage the flow of people.

Beijing, Shanghai residents back to work as China eases into living with COVID

Mask-wearing Beijing and Shanghai commuters crowded subway trains on Monday, with China's two biggest cities moving closer to living with COVID-19, as millions have been infected with the virus across the country. After years of ruthless anti-coronavirus curbs, President Xi Jinping scrapped the country's zero-COVID policy in the face of protests and a widening outbreak.