A breath after three years of isolation caused by Covid. The Chinese welcome the imminent removal of mandatory quarantine upon arrival in China and are rushing to book flights overseas. The authorities ended without warning on December 7 most of the stringent health measures against Covid-19, in a context of growing public outrage and significant impact on the economy.
The last vestige of their “zero Covid” policy, mandatory quarantine will be abolished from January 8 for travelers entering the territory, Beijing announced on Monday evening. Chinese social networks immediately reacted with enthusiasm to the end of the restrictions that had kept their country isolated from the outside world since March 2020.
Flight searches abroad
“It’s over… spring is coming!” “, exulted a user in one of the most applauded comments on Weibo, the equivalent of Twitter in China. “I am preparing for my trip abroad! another writes. Online searches for outbound flights surged once the news broke, state media reported.
Travel site Tongcheng has seen an 850% increase in online searches and a tenfold increase in visa applications. Competitor Trip.com reports that within half an hour of the announcement, search volume for destinations outside mainland China had increased 10-fold from a year earlier. Macau, Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand and South Korea are among the most popular destinations.
The long-awaited end of “Covid zero”
This decision to abolish quarantines on arrival marks the end of the strict “zero Covid” policy which for almost three years has imposed widespread screening tests, unforeseen confinements and long mandatory quarantines in centres, which have put the world’s second largest economy in crisis.
From next month, only a negative test within 48 hours will be required to enter Chinese territory, the Health Commission (NHC), which serves as the ministry, said on Monday evening. However, some restrictions remain in place: China has largely suspended the issuance of tourist and foreign student visas since the start of the pandemic.
With most health restrictions lifted, China is however experiencing an outbreak of Covid contamination. This winter upsurge comes before two New Year holidays and a few weeks before the Lunar New Year at the end of January, during which millions will travel to reunite with loved ones.
China announced on Sunday that it will no longer publish Covid statistics. The figures have been widely criticized due to their complete discrepancy with the current epidemic situation. Across the country, hospitals and crematoria are overflowing with Covid patients and victims, and Western studies estimate that around a million people could die in the coming months.
