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China on Sunday lifted the mandatory quarantine for travelers from abroad, ending its ‘Zero Covid’ policy, imposed for three years. The country began receiving a wave of travelers as it grapples with a surge in Covid-19 cases.
The first travelers from abroad began to arrive in China on Sunday, January 8, after the country ended the quarantine obligation for them. At the Beijing International Airport, families and friends were reunited and shared their relief at not having to go through strict isolation.
“I have just returned from the United Kingdom. All my family is here for the Chinese New Year. And it has been three years, it has been too long. I am very happy to return and breathe the Chinese air,” Li Hua confided this Sunday at the airport from Beijing.
The government announcement in December about the end of the lockdown fueled a sharp increase in traffic on travel booking websites. In total, about 2 billion flights are expected to be recorded this season, especially to celebrate the Chinese New Year at the end of January. This figure represents almost double compared to last year and is a 70% recovery from 2019 levels, according to the Government.
Hong Kong has also reopened its border with mainland China after years of closure and more than 400,000 people are scheduled to travel north in the next eight weeks.
Last month, a wave of protests in several cities across the country and the economic situation pressured the government to relax its measures, as it had some of the most draconian restrictions in the world. China abruptly ended its ‘Zero Covid’ policy, that is, the obligation of massive tests or travel restrictions. However, its population continues to be poorly vaccinated and vulnerable to Covid-19.
Wave of contaminations
The outbreak of infections that China is currently experiencing could worsen as the Chinese New Year holidays approach, as millions of people are expected to leave big cities and head to small and medium-sized cities, as well as rural areas to visit their family members, often elderly and more vulnerable.
According to an official from China’s National Health Commission, the number of critical Covid-19 cases is likely to peak in these smaller cities, while the larger cities have probably already peaked.
About 80% of ICU beds in China’s first- and second-tier hospitals are in use, up from 54% on December 25, it said.
Although many countries expected the Chinese to return to tourism abroad, such as Thailand or Indonesia, many others are concerned about the increase in Covid-19 cases in China.
Several countries imposed restrictions on travelers from the country, such as the United States, France, Canada or Australia that require those from China to present a negative test for Covid-19 a maximum of 48 hours before travel.
Beijing, which has been largely closed to foreign tourists and international students since 2020, called these measures “unacceptable.”
With Reuters and AFP
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