China yesterday lifted quarantine requirements for inbound travelers, ending almost three years of self-imposed isolation even as the country battles a surge in COVID-19 cases.
The first people to arrive expressed relief at not having to undergo the grueling quarantines that had become a fixture of life in China.
Beijing last month began a dramatic dismantling of a hardline “zero COVID” strategy that had enforced mandatory quarantines and punishing lockdowns. The policy had a huge effect on the world’s second-biggest economy and generated resentment throughout society that led to nationwide protests just before it was eased.
Photo: Reuters
At Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport, a woman surnamed Pang yesterday said she was thrilled with the ease of travel.
“I think it’s really good that the policy has changed now, it’s really humane,” she said. “It’s a necessary step I think. COVID has become normalized now and after this hurdle everything will be smooth.”
At Beijing Capital International Airport, barriers that once kept international and domestic arrivals apart were gone, as were the “big whites” — staff in hazmat suits long a fixture of life in “zero COVID” China.
Meanwhile, people streamed through border crossing points from Hong Kong.
After years of separation from his wife in China, Hong Kong resident Cheung Seng-bun made sure to be among the first in line.
“I’m hurrying to get back to her,” Cheung, lugging a heavy suitcase, said as he prepared to cross at Lok Ma Chau Station, which was filling with eager travelers.
However, those crossing between Hong Kong and mainland China are still required to show a negative COVID-19 test taken within the past 48 hours — a measure China has protested when imposed by other countries.
Limited ferry services also were also restored from China’s Fujian Province to Taiwan’s Kinmen County just off the Chinese coast.
Official data showed that about 410,000 people in Hong Kong planned to travel north in the next two months, while about 7,000 people in mainland China planned to travel south yesterday.
The expected surge in visitors has led more than a dozen countries — most recently Germany, Sweden and Portugal — to impose testing requirements on travelers from China.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand said in a statement on Saturday that starting early today, all foreign arrivals must prove they are vaccinated or provide a letter certifying that they have recovered from COVID-19 within six months.
Additional reporting by AP and Reuters
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