China's travel restrictions have helped curb COVID-19 spread, official says

China's restricted travel policy to reduce cross-border movement has played a positive role in preventing the spread of COVID-19, an immigration official said on Monday.

"We remind potential travelers to pay attention to the risk of international travel under current circumstances," said Liu Haitao, director of the border inspection department of National Immigration Administration, at a news conference on Monday.

Due to the emergence of the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus, many countries have tightened their travel rules, shutting down borders and extending quarantine time for arriving passengers, he added.

China will continue to carry out restricted travel policies to curb nonessential overseas travel, he added.

He also noted that the immigration administration will help process exit and entry documents for Chinese citizens with essential needs to go abroad, especially those who are taking part in pandemic prevention.