First Thing: US to require China arrivals to provide negative Covid test

Other countries including Italy take similar steps after Beijing's rollback of zero-Covid' policies. Plus, a marathon a day - for a year

• Don't already get First Thing in your inbox? Sign up here

Good morning.

All travelers to the US from China, where Covid infections have surged, will from 5 January be required to provide a negative test from within the past 48 hours to enter the country.

Virus still stubborn in the US. As of yesterday, there were almost 40,000 people hospitalized with Covid across the country, of whom nearly 5,000 were in ICUs, with an average of 345 deaths per day.

Various causes of death. Three Buffalo residents were found dead in their vehicles, four died without heat in their residences, three died from cardiac causes involving snow-shoveling or clearing, and three died due to delayed emergency services.

Fresh impetus for cannabis debate in holdout state. The Hays police chief, Don Scheibler, defended the conduct of his officers but called for consideration of reform. As a police officer, we don't determine what the law is. I think the discussion about medical marijuana needs to happen."