The number of cases involving Covid, the country’s homegrown version of the software virus, has spiked in the past week, according to multiple reports from Chinese media sources. The result? A good deal of vacation plans is being scrapped—at least temporarily—as travelers find themselves stranded abroad with no way of leaving the country or returning home. In some cases, it may be days before flights can be arranged and returned to their original destination (if they can be arranged at all).
As Summer Vacations Begin, China’s Covid Cases Are Increasing by The Hundreds Each Day
China’s Covid case count is in the hundreds each day as summer vacations begin. Most of these cases have been reported in central China rather than economic centers like Beijing and Shanghai. A rising number of infections have been reported in Guangdong, the manufacturing hub, but there are no major restrictions yet on business activity. As reported by the state media, 2,000 tourists were left stranded in southwestern Guangxi, as of Sunday. Reports stated that local authorities would assist tourists in leaving. This past Monday, Chengdu, a city in the southwestern province of Sichuan, instructed bars, gyms, and other entertainment venues to be closed for the next week. The authorities didn’t impose a ban on those dining in restaurants but instead encouraged people to order food for delivery or to takeout.
108 New Covid Cases Were Reported in Mainland China
According to mainland China, 108 new Covid cases had symptoms and 827 had no symptoms on Tuesday. The majority of cases were reported in the western provinces of Gansu and Guangxi, but a handful of cases were reported in at least 12 others. this surge to hundreds of cases per day happened just a week and a half ago. However, there were no deaths from Covid reported on the mainland during that time.
Second Quarter Was Greatly Affected By Covid
As of late June, China’s central government began easing quarantine measures. The Beijing government has also eased travel restrictions from other parts of China into Beijing. If they’re a foreigner, or just traveling to China’s capital, or elsewhere in the country, it still may be required to quarantine for seven days depending on whether Covid was ever a factor in their trip history. According to the Tourism Ministry, domestic tourist trips dropped by 22.2% from a year ago to 1.46 billion in the first half of the year. There were no quarterly breakdowns provided, but the report noted that the second quarter was affected greatly by Covid.
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