• Sunday, 22 December 2024

Covid outbreak on Chinese holiday island strands tens of thousands

Covid outbreak on Chinese holiday island strands tens of thousands
Tens of thousands of tourists have been stranded on the popular Chinese holiday island of Hainan due to a coronavirus outbreak, according to Chinese state media reports. Flights and rail services to the city of Sanya were cancelled after several hundred Covid-19 infections were discovered on the island, which is commonly referred to as "China's Hawaii," state media reported on Sunday. While the rest of the world has opted to coexist with the coronavirus, Beijing continues to pursue a strict zero-Covid policy, imposing sweeping lockdowns on any outbreak. According to Sanya's deputy mayor, there are currently over 80,000 tourists in the city. While many visitors have holiday homes there, some 30,000 are staying in hotels, which were reportedly offering 50% discounts on rooms for guests who are now unable to leave. All public transport in the city was suspended on Saturday, while Sanya airport cancelled all flights on Sunday, according to state television. In a video posted on social media, frustrated travellers were seen shouting "we want to go home!" as an airport official struggled to tell them to return to their hotels over a megaphone.