Searches for travel to China are surging as the public cheers for the pandemic easing

Authors: Sophie Yu and Martin Quin Pollard

BEIJING (Reuters) – Searches on Chinese travel sites surged on Wednesday and social media platforms were flooded with joy and relief as the public cheered the biggest relaxation of some of the world’s strictest Covid-19 rules.

Travel platforms from Trip.com to Qunar reported that searches for airfares to cities such as the tourist destinations of Sanya and Harbin increased as much as sevenfold after news of the looser rules was announced, with many people wanting to travel around the Lunar New Year. holiday in January.

China is easing its rules by allowing infected people with mild or no symptoms to quarantine at home and ceasing testing for domestic travelers, marking a clear end to the hugely unpopular zero-infection coronavirus strategy.

This policy has kept China’s infection rate extremely low by global standards, but it has also stifled the economy and had a devastating impact on the lives of many people.

Frustration over the regulations escalated into widespread protests late last month.

Wednesday’s announcement quickly became the most viewed topic on China’s Weibo platform, with many people “finally” happy that things were getting back to normal.

“The fight against the epidemic has been going on for three years, this is a day that makes history,” commented one Weibo user.

Dozens of people also flocked to the Weibo account of Li Wenliang, a doctor from the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the virus first emerged, who died in 2020 after sounding an early alert over Covid-19, and whose last post became an online haven for those who want to vent about their personal misfortunes and public policy.

“Doctor, we made it, we are free.”

wrote one user. “Daylight has come,” wrote another.

Cautious optimism, exhaustion

The news was also welcomed by foreign business groups, many of which have become increasingly outspoken about the damage that COVID’s zero-emissions policy is causing to China’s economy and their companies’ operations.

“Timely implementation will help stabilize China’s economy and restore normal life,” the European Chamber of Commerce in China said of the 10 measures announced on Wednesday.

He called for a clear action plan to be provided to businesses and local governments.

He also called on China to introduce mRNA vaccines for home use as part of a vaccination drive that will prioritize the elderly.

The American Chamber of Commerce in China said it assesses any policy indicating opening up as positive, adding that the business environment must return to a level of predictability for companies to resume normal operations.

“Today’s focus was on the domestic environment, but we would also like to see further easing of restrictions on return travel, building on the progress that was made on this front earlier this year,” Colm Rafferty, president of AmCham China, said in a statement.

Still, there have been some concerns on Chinese social media that the opening could trigger a wave of infections. Many people were rushing to stock up on home testing kits, as well as fever and cough medications.

Others wondered why it took so long, given that most of the world lifted restrictions and chose to live with the virus even as it spread.

“A year ago the rest of the world did it, so why the hell didn’t we do it sooner?” wrote one user on WeChat. “People are so exhausted,” wrote another.

(Reporting by Sophie Yu and Martin Pollard, writing by Brenda Goh; editing by Robert Birsel)