sunny.png
Friday June 9th, 2023 6:23PM

Lunar New Year rush starts in China after virus rules lifted

By The Associated Press
Related Articles
  Contact Editor

BEIJING (AP) — Hairdresser Wang Lidan is making an emotional Lunar New Year journey from Beijing to her hometown in northeastern China — her first in three years after the government lifted its strict “zero-COVID” policy that kept millions of people at home and sparked protests.

The relaxation of restrictions let loose a wave of pent-up travel desire, particularly around China’s most important time for family gatherings. Referred to in China as the Spring Festival, it may be the only time of the year when urban workers return to their hometowns.

The Chinese government expects over 2.1 billion journeys to be made during a 40-day travel period around New Year’s Day, which falls on Sunday.

“The restrictions are lifted, which made me relaxed. So I think it’s time to go home,” Wang said before heading into Beijing Train Station for a trip to Heilongjiang province.

In December, China abruptly dropped near-daily coronavirus testing and QR code monitoring of residents after public frustration boiled over into protests in Shanghai and other cities. This month, it dropped most remaining restrictions, including the demand that travelers from overseas must go into lengthy and expensive quarantine.

Many local governments had also imposed their own quarantine on travelers from outside the area, and it was those that Wang said had deterred her from leaving Beijing.

“If there was an outbreak in Beijing, I would have to be quarantined in my hometown. And when I came back to Beijing, I would be quarantined again," she said.

“I would miss the Spring Festival and delay my return to work if I was quarantined twice. So inconvenient!”

Hu Jinyuan, from the eastern province of Shandon, had managed to return home each year despite the hassles. He says he plans to continue with regular COVID-19 testing and other safety measures as infections surged and patients flooded hospitals following the lifting of restrictions.

“I do nucleic acid tests every now and then. When I arrive in my hometown, I will surely do a test as a way of self-protection. Otherwise I won’t know if I’m infected. If I’m infected, I will just isolate myself at home," Hu said.

Wang Jingli said he decided to work through the holidays since his company would triple his overtime pay. With the COVID-19 restrictions canceled, his children and wife will visit him in Beijing from their hometown in Henan province.

“With the reopening, everyone is very happy about the Spring Festival because we can reunite with our families. But because of my work, I would spend my Spring Festival here in Beijing.”

While Lunar New Year has also become a popular time to travel overseas, airlines are still only gradually restarting international flights and government departments are just beginning to issue or renew travel documents.

Many countries have imposed testing requirements on travelers from China that the Foreign Ministry has protested, and worries remain about the spread of the virus in China since containment measures were lifted.

___

Associated Press video producer Olivia Zhang contributed to this report.

  • Associated Categories: Associated Press (AP), AP National News, AP Online National News, Top General short headlines, AP World News
© Copyright 2023 AccessWDUN.com
All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission.
Lunar New Year rush starts in China after virus rules lifted
Millions of Chinese are taking advantage of the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions to make an emotional journey back to their families for Lunar New Year holidays
2:29AM ( 4 minutes ago )
Fugitive's arrest like a 'quake,' but Mafia very resilient
Prosecutors are likening the arrest of a Mafia boss who was Italy's No. 1 fugitive to an “earthquake” rocking the Sicily-based crime syndicate
2:17AM ( 16 minutes ago )
Qantas plane lands safely after mayday call over Pacific
A Qantas flight traveling from New Zealand to Sydney has landed safely on a single engine after it issued a mayday call over the Pacific Ocean
1:56AM ( 37 minutes ago )
Associated Press (AP)
Nobel winner Maria Ressa, news outlet cleared of tax evasion
Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa and her news company have been cleared of tax evasion charges she said were among legal cases used by former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to try to muzzle critical reporting
11:01PM ( 3 hours ago )
Ex-Fox execs go on trial in soccer TV rights bribery case
Two former Fox executives are on trial, accused of bribing South American soccer officials for TV rights to one of the continent’s biggest annual tournaments and using information gathered in the process to help the network’s winning World Cup broadcast bid
8:47PM ( 5 hours ago )
Drug trial starts for Mexico's former top security official
The man who was once Mexico’s top security official and in charge of fighting the drug cartels is going on trial on charges of helping the Sinaloa Cartel traffic drugs and protect them from capture
8:46PM ( 5 hours ago )
AP World News
Fugitive's arrest like a 'quake,' but Mafia very resilient
Prosecutors are likening the arrest of a Mafia boss who was Italy's No. 1 fugitive to an “earthquake” rocking the Sicily-based crime syndicate
2:17AM ( 16 minutes ago )
Qantas plane lands safely after mayday call over Pacific
A Qantas flight traveling from New Zealand to Sydney has landed safely on a single engine after it issued a mayday call over the Pacific Ocean
1:56AM ( 37 minutes ago )
Clearly hampered Nadal loses in 2nd round of Australian Open
A clearly hurting Rafael Nadal has lost his second-round match at the Australian Open to Mackenzie McDonald 6-4, 6-4, 7-5
1:52AM ( 41 minutes ago )
Pegula, whose family owns Bills, honors Hamlin in Australia
Tennis player Jessica Pegula has Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin on her mind at the Australian Open — and his No. 3 on her outfit
1:24AM ( 1 hour ago )
Tokyo shares jump after Bank of Japan keeps policy unchanged
Share have advanced in Asia, with Tokyo gaining more than 2%, after Japan's central bank kept its lax monetary policy unchanged, dispelling speculation it would yield to pressure to tighten credit
1:10AM ( 1 hour ago )