Paris: Beginning next month, all plane passengers traveling from China to France will be required to present negative COVID-19 test results and will be tested again upon arrival, Clement Beaune, the Minister Delegate for Transport of France said.

"From January 1, sanitary measures are imposed on passengers coming from China," Beaune said on Twitter on Friday, specifying that COVID-19 "tests will be carried out upon arrival in France" and that "a negative test of less than 48 hours will be mandatory on boarding [a flight from China to France]."

According to the French transport minister, face masks will be mandatory on all flights from China.

On Wednesday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that, starting from January 5, the United States was going to require international travelers coming from China to test negative for COVID-19 prior to entering the country.

The Chinese government has been easing harsh COVID-19 restrictions despite a surge in coronavirus cases.

(With UNI inputs)