Many hospitals & funeral homes say they're being overwhelmed by a worsening COVID-19 outbreak in China, even as the government reports just a handful of new deaths from the virus. The surge in cases across China is drawing a response from other countries, including the U.S.
Japan, India, S.Korea, Taiwan & Malaysia have already said they will require virus tests for visitors from China, and Japanese authorities have sharply restricted the number of flights to and from China.
USA officials are considering similar measures, with officials telling CBS News on Wednesday that concern is mounting over the rise in infections and the lack of transparent data from Beijing, which is making it increasingly difficult for public health officials to ensure that they'll be able to identify any potential new variants and take prompt measures to reduce the spread.
The USA officials told CBS that, along with international partners, Washington was considering "potential steps" that could be taken to monitor the rising cases in China, identify any potential new variants of concern that emerge there, and "to protect the American people."
Among the new restrictions imposed by Japan, travelers from China entering the country and found to have COVID-19 will have to quarantine at a designated facility for one week.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the new restrictions were temporary — spurred by an information void about the true state of the pandemic in China.
Since dramatically reversing its years-old "zero-COVID" policy, which aimed to stamp out every case of the coronavirus, China has been lifting restrictions quickly. Authorities plan to remove all travel bans early next year — a move likely to trigger a flood of Chinese travelers abroad for the new year holiday after nearly three years of rolling lockdowns under the draconian zero-COVID approach.