[ad_1]
DOra Wang* longs to see her family during the Lunar New Year, but has decided not to travel to her hometown of Dalian, 286 miles (461 km) north-east of Beijing, despite the recent lifting of travel restrictions in China.
“I am very worried because the railway stations are crowded,” said the 31-year-old, who is five months pregnant. As she was not vaccinated, the pregnant mother is worried that she might catch Covid during her long journey.
Although my parents have recovered from covid, now there are so many differences, I am worried that I will not get it.
The holiday travel season starts around now, two weeks before China’s most important holiday, the Lunar New Year, on January 22. Similar to Christmas in the West, people return to their hometowns to celebrate with family.
But with numbers rising after China effectively abandoned its zero-Covid policy this year, there are fears that the Lunar New Year rush could fuel an even faster spread of Covid, especially in rural areas with fewer medical facilities and health workers, and less money for medicine and care.
Wang’s sentiment is shared by many Chinese residents. After years of family separation and severe internal travel restrictions, many people are eager to be reunited with loved ones but worried about catching Covid.
“A new year is coming… many are heading home, but we are facing more chaos. Many are sick with heat. Hospitals and pharmacies are overwhelmed. According to the experts, everyone can go home for the new year, but how can we not prepare for another serious epidemic? ” someone wrote online.
People living outside of China are reluctant to return home, while foreigners living in China are reluctant to go home if they can spread covid.
A Chinese student studying in Hong Kong said: “There is a big epidemic on the mainland right now, and if I get sick when I get home, I won’t be able to return for the new term.”
But for some, the chance to see family after nearly three years of forced separation is worth the risk.
“I’m not too worried about the risk of catching Covid. May, who works in Beijing, said she had taken a flight back to Taipei in mid-January, and felt it was only a matter of time.
Mei is planning an overseas trip with her partner, but is struggling with her options as many countries have placed restrictions or requirements on tourists from China. “We have to wait and see where we can go,” May added.
China’s wave of Covid infections has overwhelmed hospitals and intensive care units in many cities. The next wave of infections could hit rural areas and affect even more people than the current wave in cities, British health analytics company Airfinity has warned. It is estimated that about 9,000 people a day die from the virus in China, and the number could reach 25,000 a day this month, with the total death toll reaching 1.7 million by April.
The Chinese turned to the Internet to find out how to get rid of the virus. Some experts recommend driving instead of taking public transportation. One post contains a long list of “must dos,” including vaccinating yourself and family members before traveling and traveling only after a negative PCR test.
The “must come” list includes N95 masks, surgical gowns, thermometers and pulse oximeters, as well as waterproof jackets and plastic bags to keep train tickets and ID cards hygienic. The post also recommends changing masks frequently, avoiding crowded places and avoiding contaminating oneself and luggage, greeting family members.
G Ka, who has 12 million followers on social media, told his fans: “Many of you are worried like me… will you get caught? [Covid] or infecting their families,” said Zheng Guang, a former chief epidemiologist at China’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in a video interview who advised people to avoid traveling within two weeks of recovering from Covid and to cancel trips if there is an outbreak in their hometown.
China’s cabinet said on Wednesday it would step up drug distribution and meet demand in health facilities, nursing homes and rural areas during the Lunar New Year, state media reported.
China has shifted to a narrower definition of Covid deaths. Funeral homes and hospitals say they are overcrowded, but officials say there have been five or fewer deaths a day since the zero-covid ban ended. The World Health Organization has warned that official statistics are not showing the true impact.
The government’s sudden shift in its Covid messaging – from a deadly, deadly virus to “a little worse than the flu” – has also sparked outrage, with many ordinary Chinese not believing the state’s assurances that travel is safe.
“Watch out for yourself and don’t believe a word from these (government-affiliated) so-called ‘experts’!” He said in an article on Sina Weibo.
“We only have ourselves to rely on now. Pray for your luck!” said the other.
*Name has been changed.
Xiaoqian Zhu and Timmy Shen contributed to this article
[ad_2]
Source link
