New Delhi/IBNS: All fliers from China, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand will have to submit a negative Covid-19 test report before arrival in India starting Jan 1, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said Thursday.

Passengers coming from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand will have to upload their reports on the Air Suvidha portal before their departure.

"RT-PCR test has been made mandatory for flyers coming from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand from 1st January 2023. They will have to upload their reports on the Air Suvidha portal before travel," Mandaviya said in a tweet.

The tests have to be conducted within 72 hours of undertaking the journey to India.

The announcement comes amid a spike in Covid-19 cases in China and some other countries. Experts believe that the surge is due to a new coronavirus variant BF.7.

Hospitals across China have been overwhelmed by an explosion of infections following Beijing's decision to the lifting of strict restrictions that had largely kept the virus at bay but impacted the economy and sparked widespread protests.

China said this week it would end mandatory quarantine on arrival, prompting many jubilant Chinese to make plans to travel abroad.

India has sounded an alert and asked states and Union territories to prepare even as cases have not surged in the country.

The government has also made random Covid testing mandatory for two per cent of passengers arriving on each international flight from Saturday.