It's yet another paradox with China. The authorities of the city of Canton (Guangzhou)In the middle of last week, more than 5 million people in southern China were placed under quarantine.
The authorities have reacted vigorously to curb an epidemic of Covid that is currently making the southern industrial metropolis the epicentre of the pandemic. Last Wednesday, the city recorded more than 3,000 infections, a third of all infections in the country.
A strange situation when the China is the last major economy to maintain strict policies on the prevention of VOCID. Although its borders remain hermetically sealed to most foreign nationals, this "Zero Covid" policy has not prevented the virus from spreading throughout the country.
Symbolic advances?
Perhaps that's also why China has finally decided to loosen the noose a little for travellers arriving from abroad. The changes concern flight bans, tests and quarantine periods..
Passengers on flights to China will no longer be required to present more thana single negative PCR test made within 48 hours of boardingaccording to a note published by China's National Health Commission. Previously, two negative PCR tests were required.
International arrivals must now be quarantined for eight days instead of ten.. The authorities will also stop registering people in contact with them for traceability purposes. This decision will enable many people to avoid quarantine.
And finally.., Friday's announcement also puts an end to the controversial "circuit-breaker" mechanism in air transport. This much-criticised rule meant that all international flights to China could be banned for one to two weeks when more than four passengers infected with Covid were detected on arrival in China.
New package of measures in Hong Kong
In Hong Kong, the government is now allowing travellers to go to certain places during their three days of self-monitoring. These include cinemas, museums, event venues and hairdressers. Restaurants, fitness centres and swimming pools remain off-limits during these three days of restrictions. In these places, the wearing of masks has been abolished.
These measures in both China and Hong Kong should not, however, fundamentally change the flow of foreign travellers compared with previous rules, according to experts.
