On Sunday, China removed the quarantine regulations for incoming travelers, ending nearly three years of self-imposed exclusion even as the nation deals with an increase in Covid cases.
The first arrivals were relieved to not have to endure the torturous quarantines that were a regular part of life in zero-Covid China. And in the next eight weeks, more than 400,000 individuals were expected to cross the border into mainland China from Hong Kong, where it had been closed for years.
Beijing started a dramatic deconstruction of the strict zero-Covid plan, which had imposed obligatory quarantines and harsh lockdowns, last month.
The second-largest economy in the world was significantly affected by the policy, which also caused widespread dissatisfaction throughout society and resulted in widespread protests immediately before it was lifted.
According to a police officer, operations are being conducted to apprehend the suspects who fled the scene of the murder and went underground. He claimed that using the data from their mobile phones, authorities were attempting to locate the offenders.
A woman with the last name Pang said she was delighted with the simplicity of travel on Sunday at Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport.
“I think it’s really good that the policy has changed now, it’s really humane,” she added.
“It’s a necessary step I think. Covid has become normalised now and after this hurdle everything will be smooth,” she said.
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Following last month’s announcement by authorities that the quarantine would be lifted, Chinese citizens hurried to book vacations abroad, driving up enquiries on well-known travel websites. However, due to the anticipated increase in tourists, more than a dozen nations now require mandatory Covid tests for visitors from the country with the highest population.
China, despite continuing to mainly prohibit foreign tourists and international students from entering the country, has referred to travel restrictions imposed by other nations as “inappropriate.”
The Lunar New Year vacation, when millions are anticipated to travel from hard-hit megacities to the countryside to visit vulnerable senior relatives, is projected to intensify China’s Covid outbreak.
