quarantine

Travelers wearing face masks with their luggage head to the immigration counter at the departure hall at Lok Ma Chau station following the reopening of crossing border with mainland China, in Hong Kong, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023.

World News

China has reopened its borders to tourists after three years of COVID-19 closure

9:49am January 08, 2023

by The Associated Press

The ability of residents Hong Kong to cross into mainland is one of the most visible signs of China's easing of border restrictions, with travelers arriving no longer required to undergo quarantines.

Workers wear protective gear in a Beijing neighborhood placed under lockdown in November. China had raised hopes by slightly relaxing its zero-COVID policy, but cities have been contending with a surge in cases.

Surge in outbreaks tests China's easing of zero-COVID policy

11:08pm November 23, 2022

Cities are once again locking down thousands of neighborhoods and sending people into quarantine, even as local Chinese authorities are tasked with easing COVID restrictions.

The science isn't entirely settled on whether a rapid antigen test indicates whether a person is still contagious.

Health & Safety

Still testing positive after day 10? How to decide when to end your COVID isolation

5:02am June 30, 2022

by Will Stone

Nobody wants to infect their friends and friendly, but do you really have to keep isolating at day 12, 13 or beyond? Unfortunately — and perhaps unsurprisingly — the science is not entirely settled.

Journalists and politicians mingled at an afterparty following the White House Correspondents Dinner on April 30. Based on COVID cases among attendees at the main event, SARS-CoV-2 was mingling as well.

Health & Safety

Coronavirus FAQ: Should I go to that party? What do I do if guests got COVID?

6:23pm May 06, 2022

by Fran Kritz

Whether it's a wedding, graduation or meeting, indoor events can spread the virus. Here's a complete guide: what to ponder before going, how to cut risks while there, what to do if cases crop up.

Neighborhoods are separated by barriers as part of lockdown measures in Shanghai to prevent the spread of the highly transmissible omicron variant.

Health & Safety

Voices from Shanghai: The trials of living through a massive COVID lockdown

4:22pm April 07, 2022

by Emily Feng

China's lockdown and quarantine policy is testing the limits of the city of 26 million. Parents were separated from kids. And there's not enough staff for the elderly residents of care centers.

Kevin Tranbarger poses with his two children outside the Hong Kong International Airport in July, before they left for the United States. A few weeks later, Tranbarger decided to permanently move away from Hong after living there for nearly three decades.

World News

He loved Hong Kong. Its COVID crackdown made him leave without even saying goodbye

8:06am February 20, 2022

by David Gura

Hong Kong has imposed severe restrictions to fight COVID-19. For many expatriates, it's proving the last straw after years of seeing its autonomy erode as China tightens its grip on the territory.

Queue Listen Now

COVID-19 rapid tests are distributed in Brooklyn in late December. Self-tests are in short supply in many parts of the country.

Health & Safety

COVID testing FAQ: When to test, what kind of test to use and what your results mean

2:20pm January 06, 2022

by Melody Schreiber

We answer key questions about COVID tests: What types are there? Should you self-test right after exposure to someone with COVID? And what should you do if you test positive?

A 8-year-old looks out her bedroom window during self-quarantine with her family due to COVID-19.

Health & Safety

Coronavirus FAQ: Remind me, what's the difference between isolation and quarantine?

3:37pm December 30, 2021

by Fran Kritz

The Centers for Disease Control changed its guidelines for isolation and quarantine during this pandemic. Not everyone is sure how to define those terms. Also, not everyone is 100% behind the changes.

People form a large crowd as they attempt to receive COVID-19 testing kits from city workers distributing the kits along Flatbush Avenue on December 24, 2021 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The city is handing out thousands of the kits, which in

Health & Safety

New CDC isolation guidelines raise concerns among health experts

7:52pm December 28, 2021

by Pien Huang

Cutting the isolation for positive cases to five days could lead to more infections if people don't take masking seriously. A testing requirement, would have made the policy safer, experts say.

A community worker delivers daily necessities to a household during quarantine conditions in the southwestern Chinese city of Ruili. Residents have taken to social media to complain about what they describe as harsh lockdown measures brought on by China's

Health & Safety

One Chinese town has started a fiery online debate about China's zero-COVID policy

2:56pm November 05, 2021

by Emily Feng

Citizens in Ruili are complaining about lengthy lockdowns and terrible conditions in quarantine centers. Others in China don't want to hear about it.