By Michael Martina

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – The U.S. State Department considers whether it will authorize the departure of American diplomats from China and their families who are unable to stop Chinese authorities from imposing intrusive pandemic controls measures on them. Sources told Reuters that this decision is being considered by State Department officials.

According to two sources, the U.S Embassy had requested Washington’s formal approval on Monday. This is as China intensifies COVID-19 containment protocols in preparation for the opening of Beijing Winter Olympics.

Sources speaking on condition anonymity to Reuters about the sensitive issue said that some embassy staff were upset at U.S. officials not being exempted from strict quarantine.

Rules include separation from children and forced admission to COVID fever treatment clinics.

In a Tuesday statement, the State Department informed Reuters that China’s embassy and consulates had maintained their operational status.

A spokesperson for the department stated that any change to operating status would only be made if it was safe, secure, and healthy for our colleagues and their families.

The Chinese foreign ministry didn’t immediately respond to our request for comment.

According to one person, the U.S Embassy carried out an internal survey that showed as high as 25% of family and staff members wanted to leave China immediately.

The home quarantine requirement for diplomats must be met, while admissions to Chinese fever clinics or hospitals should not be required, according to the individual. However, it was suggested that the U.S. government could have taken retaliatory steps for failing to comply with such requests.

The second individual stated that the embassy leadership failed to receive appropriate assurances about China’s treatment of U.S. Diplomats during the pandemic.

The U.S. government evacuated 1,300 U.S. diplomatic personnel and their families from China during the initial months of the pandemic. But, after months of negotiations over the testing and quarantine protocols for officials, both governments were still at a standstill for months.

China requires foreign diplomats to abide by pandemic control rules like quarantines and testing on arrival, although some foreign envoys have not had to enter government-designated quarantine hotels.

China is taking swift measures to stop the spread of COVID, as Beijing Winter Olympics nears. However flare-ups have continued throughout the city.

A new round of testing was initiated Tuesday in one district in Beijing by its approximately 2 million residents.

China’s Global Times tabloid, a nationalist newspaper in China, called the State Department’s assessment of the policy a “dirty trick” that was intended to interfere with China’s Olympic hosting.

Due to the ongoing genocide by the Chinese government against Uyghurs, and other Muslim groups living in the western part of Xinjiang, the United States led many allied and partner nations in a diplomatic boycott.