AMN/ WEB DESK
As Beijing is getting ready to become the first city to have hosted both the Summer and Winter Olympics, the Chinese capital has been on high alert and has intensified efforts to contain any outbreaks before the Beijing Winter Olympics beginning next week amid Chinese Spring festival travel rush. The municipality of Beijing has been checking the health codes of anyone entering from any other Chinese province and keeping Olympic participants in a “closed-loop” to minimize the risks after outbreaks of the Omicron and Delta variants in the capital.
As of Sunday, 78 cases had been found among Olympics-related arrivals at Beijing Capital International Airport. COVID cases have been reported inside the Olympics bubble also. Capital Beijing has another reason to be on high alert as after the Winter Olympics, the city will also host the two sessions, China’s high-profile annual legislative gathering in March.
Fengtai district in capital Beijing has seen a surge in cases and was testing all its 2 million residents on Tuesday. Many housing communities in Beijing are testing its residents, in some cases twice a day for two days and in few cases without even any confirmed cases. In the latest announcements, in addition to regular precautions, people in Beijing are also required to get a Covid test if they purchase fever reducers, cough medicines, antibiotics and antivirals, and medicines used to treat coughs and sore throat. Even seasonal allergy medicines also fall under this test category. In case of a failure of COVID test within next 72 hours will make the health code go RED affecting normal movement to places.
People across the country have been urged to minimize their travel during the Spring Festival, with some places requiring arrivals to enter quarantine if they have travelled from areas classed as high or medium risk. With less than a week to go for New Year holidays, in line with China’s zero-tolerance policy towards Covid-19, local governments have doubled down on travel restrictions, fearing that the annual holiday mass migration might contribute to the coronavirus spread. However, their travel policies differ in the level of strictness and are subject to rapid changes that leave travelers confused. They are upset by lack of clarity on varying provincial measures as parts of the nation battle Delta and Omicron variants. Entry rules differ in the level of strictness and are subject to rapid changes as local authorities implement zero-Covid policy.
The general rule followed countrywide is that neighborhoods reporting cases are marked as “medium” or “high-risk”. Other areas in the same city are accorded “low-risk” status, so that residents can still avoid the worst of the restrictions and maintain some level of normalcy even during an outbreak. But when it comes to travel, it is a nightmarish experience and struggle. Everchanging and different rules across the huge country have left travelers at a loss who are yearning for family reunions during the Chinese New Year.