At Beijing’s airport, the barriers that used to separate arrivals from domestic and international flights are gone, as are the staff in white protective suits.
In Hong Kong, travelers line up to get overland to the mainland. Up to 50,000 Hong Kong residents are now allowed to cross the border daily after registering their journeys online. A further 10,000 are admitted via plane or boat without registration requirements.
Rapid spread
China abruptly ended its strict zero-covid policy in December, when demands for mass testing, lockdowns and special quarantine in authorities’ custody were dropped.
At the same time, the coronavirus is spreading rapidly. The outbreak is expected to worsen during the Chinese New Year, which is celebrated at the end of January, when millions of Chinese are expected to travel from big cities to the countryside to visit relatives. Beijing has called for restraint with travel ahead of the weekend.
Condemned foreign claims
The large spread of infection has caused many other countries, including Sweden, to introduce requirements for presenting a negative covid test when entering from China.
Even travelers between Hong Kong and China must still present a negative covid test taken within the last 48 hours, AP writes.
China has condemned the foreign demands for covid tests and has threatened countermeasures against the countries that introduced them.