Zero-COVID Ends With The Reopening Of China’s Borders

(CTN News) – Zero-COVID: Thousands of travellers began crossing land and sea borders from Hong Kong to mainland China on Sunday, eager for long-awaited reunions, as Beijing opened borders that have been all but closed since the COVID-19 outbreak began.

China is closing its border with Hong Kong and eliminating a quarantine requirement for incoming travelers, dismantling a final pillar of a zero-COVID policy that shielded China’s people from the disease while cutting them off from the outside world.

As a result of historic protests against a policy that included frequent testing, restrictions on movement, and mass lockdowns that severely harmed the second-largest economy, China has loosened one of the world’s most restrictive COVID regimes over the past month.

It makes me so happy, so happy, so excited. I have not seen my parents for many years,” said Hong Kong resident Teresa Chow as she prepared to cross into mainland China from Hong Kong’s Lok Ma Chau checkpoint early on Sunday morning.

In spite of the fact that my parents are not in good health, and I was unable to visit them even when they had colon cancer, I am delighted to be able to visit them now,” she said, adding that she intends to travel to her hometown in eastern China.

A $17 trillion economy experiencing its lowest growth in nearly half a century hopes that the reopening will eventually rejuvenate it.

In spite of this, the abrupt reversal of policy has triggered a massive wave of infectious COVID diseases that is overwhelming some hospitals and disrupting business operations.

Earlier this week, chun yun, the first 40-day period of Lunar New Year travel, began, which was before the pandemic and the world’s largest annual migration of people returning to their hometowns to spend holidays with their families.

According to the government, around 2 billion people will travel this season. This is nearly double the number of people who traveled last year and returns to 70% of their 2019 levels.

It is also expected that many Chinese will start travelling abroad, a long-awaited shift for tourist destinations such as Thailand and Indonesia; however, several governments, concerned about China’s COVID spike, are placing restrictions on Chinese tourists.

As a result of factors such as a lack of international flights, analysts predict that travel will not return to pre-pandemic levels soon.

As of Sunday, China resumed issuing passports and travel visas for mainland residents, as well as ordinary visas and residence permits for foreigners. Beijing limits the number of people who can travel between Hong Kong and China.

Workers at Shanghai’s Pudong airport overnight removed bright blue signs marking routes through the international terminal to enforce a quarantine regime requiring foreign travellers to be quarantined for up to eight days.

In other videos, people were seen hugging COVID emotionally upon reuniting at the airport gate.

The driver who only gave his surname Yip at Hong Kong’s Lok Ma Chau checkpoint said that he was among those who were eager to travel to the mainland.

As it has been three years, there is no time to waste,” he said.

How long are you contagious after being sick with COVID-19?

People with moderate or severe COVID-19 should isolate through at least day 10. Those with severe COVID-19 may remain infectious beyond 10 days and may need to extend isolation for up to 20 days. People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised should isolate through at least day 20.

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