Notice on Application of Health Code of China-bound Foreign Passengers

Departing from Detroit

(Updated March 9th, 2022)

The current global COVID-19 epidemic situation remains severe and complex. The Chinese Consulate General in Chicago once again reminds all travelers between China and the U.S. to fully understand the high risks of cross-border travel, continue to avoid all non-essential and non-urgent travels, and make a prudent decision to travel. If you need to travel for essential reasons, be sure to take strict personal protection measures.

In light of the latest developments concerning COVID-19, for China-bound flights departing from U.S. on and after April 1, 2022, passengers will be required to present a negative result of antigen test, on top of green health code before check-in or boarding. Passengers who travel from Detroit to China on and after April 1, 2022 are kindly required to read and follow procedures below.  If the notices and requirements related to the health code application which were issued before by the Consulate General are inconsistent with this notice, this notice shall prevail.

1. Foreign passengers can apply for the health code at  https://hrhk.cs.mfa.gov.cn/H5/  .

2. Samples(nucleic acid, antibody and antigen)must be collected and tested at a laboratory on the list provided by the Chinese Consulate General in Chicago. See below for the latest list of laboratories accepted by the Consulate General in Chicago (for the Detroit flight). Please give consent to the sampling agency and testing laboratory to announce the test results and other personal information to the Consulate General. The Consulate General will contact the issuing agency to verify the authenticity of all the submitted reports and certificates. If any of them cannot be verified, or contain false information, or are deemed altered or forged, the health code will not be issued.

(1) Great Lakes Medical Laboratory

(2) BioGenetics Diagnostics（effective from March 25, 2022）

(3) GoPath Laboratories

(4) Radiance Diagnostics

Please find the attachment for detailed information of the designated testing laboratories. The labs will update their appointment websites and add the rapid antigen test option soon.

3. Please take corresponding steps according to your vaccination status:

(1) For those who are fully vaccinated with inactivated vaccine:

① For passengers who take flight on and after April 1, 2022, take a nucleic acid rt-PCR test at any one of the four designated testing laboratories of our Consulate General 7 days before boarding (e.g. If the flight departs on April 1, the sampling time should be anytime on March 25). For passengers who take flight before April 1, take the above-mentioned rt-PCR test at any one of the Great Lakes, GoPath and Radiance laboratories.

② Starting from the first nucleic acid rt-PCR test day, monitor your health for 7 days, and fill in the "Personal Health Monitoring Form" (see attachment)

③ For passengers who take flight on and after April 1, 2022, within 48 hours before departure (e.g. If the flight departs on April 1, the sampling time can be any time on March 30, 31 or April 1), take the second and third nucleic acid rt-PCR tests at any one of the four designated testing laboratories of our Consulate General. For passengers who take flight before April 1, if you choose to take the above-mentioned tests at the Great Lakes Medical Laboratory in Detroit, you must take two samples and use different reagents for testing; if you choose to take the tests in Chicago, you must take the two tests at the GoPath Laboratories and Radiance Diagnostics respectively.

④ For passengers who take flight on and after April 1, 2022, take the antigen test at any one of the four designated testing laboratories of our Consulate General on the day of departure.  Passengers who take flight before April 1 don’t need to take the antigen test.

⑤　If an individual who has been fully vaccinated with inactivated vaccines also gets inoculated with non-inactivated vaccines, please follow the category of the fully vaccinated with inactivated vaccine.

(2) For those who are fully vaccinated with non-inactivated vaccines:

① For passengers who take flight on and after April 1, 2022, take a nucleic acid rt-PCR test at any one of the four designated testing laboratories of our Consulate General 7 days before boarding (e.g. If the flight departs on April 1, the sampling time should be anytime on March 25). For passengers who take flight before April 1, take the above-mentioned rt-PCR test at any one of the Great Lakes, GoPath and Radiance laboratories.

② Starting from the first nucleic acid rt-PCR test day, monitor your health for 7 days, and fill in the "Personal Health Monitoring Form" (see attachment)

③For passengers who take flight on and after April 1, 2022, within 48 hours before departure (e.g. If the flight departs on April 1, the sampling time can be any time on March 30, 31 or April 1), complete the second nucleic acid rt-PCR, an S protein IgM antibody, and an N protein IgM antibody tests at any one of the four designated testing laboratories of our Consulate General.  For passengers who take flight before April 1, complete the above-mentioned tests at any one of the Great Lakes, GoPath and Radiance laboratories.

④ For passengers who take flight on and after April 1, 2022, take the antigen test at any one of the four designated testing laboratories of our Consulate General on the day of departure.  Passengers who take flight before April 1 don’t need to take the antigen test.

(3) For the unvaccinated and the partially vaccinated:

① For passengers who take flight on and after April 1, 2022, take a nucleic acid rt-PCR test at any one of the four designated testing laboratories of our Consulate General 7 days before boarding (e.g. If the flight departs on April 1, the sampling time should be anytime on March 25). For passengers who take flight before April 1, take the above-mentioned rt-PCR test at any one of the Great Lakes, GoPath and Radiance laboratories.

② Starting from the first nucleic acid rt-PCR test day, monitor your health for 7 days, and fill in the "Personal Health Monitoring Form" (see attachment)

③For passengers who take flight on and after April 1, 2022, within 48 hours before departure (e.g. If the flight departs on April 1, the sampling time can be any time on March 30, 31 or April 1), complete the second nucleic acid rt-PCR, an S protein IgM antibody, and an N protein IgM antibody tests at any one of the four designated testing laboratories of our Consulate General. For passengers who take flight before April 1, complete the above-mentioned tests at any one of the Great Lakes, GoPath and Radiance laboratories.

④ For passengers who take flight on and after April 1, 2022, take the antigen test at any one of the four designated testing laboratories of our Consulate General on the day of departure.  Passengers who take flight before April 1 don’t need to take the antigen test.

4. The documents should be uploaded for health code application:

(1) Tests reports (based on the requirements mentioned above)

(2) 7-day Personal Health Monitoring Form

(3) Flight itinerary with passenger name, departure date and other relevant information

(4) Passport, Chinese visa or resident permit

(5) If you are vaccinated, please also upload the Letter of Commitment on COVID-19 Vaccination (see attachment) and vaccination certificate

(6) If you have infection history / are a close contact / show suspected symptoms, please upload supplementary documents according to the requirements below.

(7) Antigen test report is not required when applying the health code. Airlines will inspect the original reports before check-in or boarding. Either printed or electronic original report will be accepted, while the result must be “negative”.

5. Requirements for Vaccinated people

(1) Interval between vaccination and testing

People who have completed the vaccination can only take the tests 48 hours before departure and apply for the health code 14 days after all the doses required for vaccination. For example, if the last dose of vaccination is completed on January 1, the earliest option for the tests 48 hours before departure is January 15. Those who have taken the tests 48 hours before departure within 14 days after completing the vaccination will not be issued a health code regardless of whether the test results meet the "double negative" requirements.

(2) Standard of fully vaccinated people

Those who have not completed all the doses required for vaccination (such as 2 doses required but only 1 dose completed, or 3 doses required but only 1-2 doses completed), or 2 doses of inactivated vaccines completed in the same day, will be regarded as unvaccinated people. The applicant can be regarded as a vaccinated person only after completing all the required doses.

6. People with history of infection

People who have been diagnosed with the COVID-19 or have not been diagnosed but have a positive test result of either nucleic acid, IgM antibody (including N protein IgM antibody with vaccination of non-inactivated vaccine), or IgG antibody (except for positive IgM and IgG antibodies caused by the COVID-19 vaccine), if you need to travel to China with essential reasons and apply for a health code from our Consulate General, you should follow the procedures below:

(1) Confirmation of recovery

After the applicant recovers, he/she must take a lung CT or X-ray examination in a regulated hospital (pregnant women can be exempted), and two nucleic acid tests at the designated test laboratories of our Consulate General (sampling interval should not be less than 24 hours). The above-mentioned examination and tests should be within 3 days before sending the pre-review email to the Consulate General. The diagnosis result of lung CT or X-ray examination should be: no symptoms of COVID-19 infection or recovery from COVID-19 (or although there is no such clear statement, the test results are not abnormal); the results of the two nucleic acid tests should be both negative. Send the above-mentioned lung examination and diagnosis results and two nucleic acid test results to 12308chicago@gmail.com for pre-review, and mark the subject of the email as "name + passport number + confirmation of recovery application".

(2) Quarantine and health monitoring

Since the date of receiving "confirmation of recovery" email from our Consulate General, the applicant should conduct a 14-day quarantine and health monitoring, and fill in the "Personal Health Monitoring Form" (see attachment). During the quarantine period, if there are suspected symptoms such as fever, cough and diarrhea, the applicant should carry out a new nucleic acid test at the designated test laboratories of our Consulate General. If the result is negative, the applicant should conduct another 14-day quarantine and health monitoring; if the result is positive, the applicant should promptly go to the hospital for treatment. When applying for the health code again, the process should be completed again from the confirmation of recovery (pre-review).

(3) Tests 7 days and 48 hours before boarding

After completing the above procedures, follow this notice to perform nucleic acid rt-PCR testing 7 days before boarding, monitor your health for 7 days, and perform corresponding tests within 48 hours before boarding. If the test result is still positive, you will need to complete the previous steps again until you meet all the requirements. If your result is negative, upload the relevant test reports, "Personal Health Monitoring Form", screenshots of pre-review email with serial numbers, and other necessary documents in the system to apply for the health code.

7. People with history of close contact and suspected symptoms before departure

Those who have a history of close contact with confirmed COVID-19 patients, suspected confirmed patients, asymptomatic infected people, or have had suspected symptoms of COVID-19 such as fever, cough, diarrhea, must truthfully report the situation in the health code system, conduct a 14-day quarantine and health monitoring, and fill in the "Personal Health Monitoring Form" as required. During the quarantine period, the applicant should take three nucleic acid tests on the first, fourth, and seventh day at a regulated test laboratory. After the quarantine, the applicant should send the "Personal Health Monitoring Form" and the three nucleic acid test results to 12308chicago@gmail.com for pre-review, and mark the subject of the email as "name + passport number + close contact and suspected symptoms pre-review". After completing the above procedures, follow this notice to perform nucleic acid rt-PCR testing 7 days before boarding, monitor your health for 7 days, and perform corresponding tests within 48 hours before boarding. If your result is negative, upload the relevant test reports and screenshots of the pre-review email with serial numbers and other necessary documents in the system to apply for the health code.

8.About transit

(1) The Consulate General does not issue health code for passengers who fly from the U.S. to China by transiting in a third country.

(2) For passengers who transit in the U.S. and then and fly directly to China:

- No health code will be issued by the Consulate General to passengers whose departure country has a direct flight to China.

- For those whose departure country has no direct flight to China, please follow the requirements of Chinese Embassy/Consulates of that country and apply for the health code before coming to the U.S. When transiting in the U.S., please follow the requirements of the Chinese Embassy/Consulates General in the U.S. and apply for the health code for the direct flight for China. Please follow this notice to perform nucleic acid rt-PCR testing 7 days before boarding, monitor your health for 7 days, and perform corresponding tests within 48 hours before boarding.

9. Foreign nationals holding valid Chinese residence permits for work, personal matters and reunion

Foreign nationals who are holding valid Chinese residence permits for work, personal matters and reunion, don't need to send emails to our Consulate General for pre-review, and they can follow this notice to perform nucleic acid rt-PCR testing 7 days before boarding, monitor your health for 7 days, and perform corresponding tests within 48 hours before boarding.

10. When should I be tested?

For example, if your flight date is April 1, the sampling time for the first nucleic acid rt-PCR testing is 7 days before boarding, which is any time on March 25; the 7-day self-health monitoring should be from March 25 to 31; the sampling date for RT-PCR and IgM antibody tests should be any time on March 30, 31, or April 1.  Antigen test sampling time should be any time on April 1.

Please fill in the "test sampling date" when uploading the health code applications with the test results within 48 hours before boarding (please do not fill in the date of the first nucleic acid rt-PCR test)

11. Do babies and toddlers need to be tested?

Babies and toddlers under the age of 3 do not need to be tested or apply for a health code.

12. Am I sure to get the health code if I apply as required?

Not necessarily. To ensure the health and safety of international travel and reduce the risk of cross-border transmission of COVID-19, the Embassy/Consulates General will decide based on a comprehensive review. Please plan your trip accordingly.

13. Take good personal protection before departure and during the whole journey. After taking the first test 7 days before boarding, the passenger should be isolated in residence and conduct closed-loop management before boarding. Except for taking the test 48 hours before boarding, do not take public transportation or go out to shopping centers, restaurants and other crowded places. Please wear N95 masks throughout the flight, take meals at different time with neighboring passengers, and take strict personal protection during the whole journey.

Appendix:

• Laboratories Designated by the Chinese Consulate General in Chicago.doc
• Personal Health Monitoring Form（7 days）.pdf
• Personal Health Monitoring Form（14 days）.pdf
• Letter of Commitment on COVID-19 Vaccination.pdf