BEIJING, KOMPAS.com – Chinese citizens are scrambling to book overseas travel after Beijing announced it would reopen its borders next month.
Passport applications for Chinese nationals wishing to travel abroad will start working again from January 8, the immigration administration said.
The change comes after the announcement on Monday (26/12/2022) regarding the end of strict quarantine rules for arrivals to and from ‘Bamboo Curtain Country’ nearly three years after the pandemic.
The travel site has since reported a spike in booking traffic.
But Chinese tourists will not have free access to all countries.
Read also: China lifts travel quarantine, European and Asian stock markets soar
Prevention in the country of destination
Japan – one of the most popular destinations for Chinese travelers – has announced that all travelers from China must present a negative Covid test upon arrival, or quarantine for seven days, due to a spike in cases there.
India has also said travelers from China (as well as other countries) must present a negative Covid test upon arrival, though this was announced before Beijing eased restrictions.
The easing of travel rules in China is the latest part of the country’s zero Covid policy. This comes as the country battles a new wave of infections.
Public anger over government policies sparked a rare protest against President Xi Jinping in November.
China’s ruling Communist Party immediately reversed its strict policy of easing Covid restrictions across the country.
But the surge in Covid cases came later, with reports of overwhelmed hospitals and drug shortages.
The announcement to open travel outside of China on Tuesday (27/12/2022) came after reports on Monday (26/12/2022) of lifting quarantine regulations for travelers arriving in China.
The new policy will also remove the limit on the number of daily flights.
On the same day, China’s National Health Commission announced that Covid was officially downgraded to a class B infectious disease on January 8.
Before travel regulations were relaxed, people were strongly discouraged from traveling abroad.
The sale of group and overseas travel packages is prohibited, according to marketing solutions firm Dragon Trail International.
Cited by Chinese media, data from travel site Trip.com shows searches for popular destinations have increased tenfold year-on-year in just half an hour after its notification on Monday (12/26/2022) that the borders of China would be reopened.
Macau, Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand and South Korea are the most popular destinations.
Read also: Japan requires Covid-19 testing for travelers from China
Chinese travel agency Qunar also saw flight requests on its website increase sevenfold in the first 15 minutes after the announcement, China Daily reported.
Before the pandemic, the number of outbound tourists from China surpassed 155 million in 2019, according to Statista. This number will drop to 20 million in 2020.
Opening when the infection reaches its peak
This year, some people in China are looking forward to visiting family and loved ones during the Lunar New Year, which starts on January 22nd.
But inside China there have been mixed reactions.
“I’m happy about it but also speechless. If we continue with this[riapertura]why should I go through all the daily Covid tests and lockdowns this year?” said Rachel Liu, who lives in Shanghai.
He admits that he spent three months in isolation in April, but that almost all of his family members have been infected in recent weeks.
He said his parents, grandparents and spouses who live in three different cities in Xi’an, Shanghai and Hangzhou, all had fevers last week.
Read also: Could the waves of new cases of Covid-19 in China trigger new mutations?
Many have also expressed concern online about borders reopening as Covid cases spike.
“Why can’t we wait for this wave to pass to open? Healthcare workers are exhausted and the elderly will not survive two infections in one month,” wrote one of the most popular comments on Weibo. BBC.
People in cities like Beijing and Shanghai, which experience frigid temperatures in winter, say they are running out of cold and cold medicine.
Hundreds of dead are feared going unreported as crematoria are overwhelmed.
In the capital, Beijing, authorities said they planned to distribute Pfizer’s Paxlovid tablets to try to reduce the severity of the infection.
But the health center contacted by The Global Times on Monday (26/12/2022) said the drug had not been delivered.
On Monday (12/26/2022), President Xi issued his first statement on the changes, calling on officials to do what’s “decent” to save lives.
Read also: 3 years of Covid-19, Singapore organizes new year party at Marina Bay again
China’s extreme political turnaround has put Xi in a difficult position.
It is the driving force behind the policies Nol Covid China which many accuse of overly limiting people’s lives and crippling the economy.
But after ignoring it, analysts say the 69-year-old leader must now be held responsible for a massive surge in infections and hospitalizations.
Many have wondered why the country is not better prepared even after almost 3 years of pandemic.
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