Shanghai to start easing lockdown after another mass testing
China’s largest city of Shanghai will soon begin lifting lockdown in communities that report no positive cases within 14 days after another round of COVID-19 testing, authorities said Saturday. The fresh round of testing comes as the city reported about 23,000 cases on Saturday, most of them asymptomatic. Large swathes of Shanghai, with a population of 26 million, have been under lockdown since March 28, leading to complaints from residents about shortages of food and basic necessities.
Guangzhou starts city-wide anti-COVID efforts amid flare-up
Guangzhou, capital city of South China's Guangdong Province, on Saturday launched citywide anti-COVID efforts and vowed to secure supplies of daily necessities in the face of COVID-19 community transmission risks. The city reported five local confirmed cases and five local asymptomatic infections on Friday. As of 8 am on Saturday, the city reported two new confirmed cases.
Foreign airlines told to cut passengers into Covid-hit Shanghai
International airlines have been told to ensure that flights into Shanghai are less than half full as part of the Chinese financial hub’s latest attempt to curb the spread of Covid-19, according to people familiar with the matter.
Weekend camping booms in China as COVID-19 flare-ups restrict long-distance travel
For many camping enthusiasts, the pastime of venturing into nature has become a regular outing event recently. The three-day Qingming festival took place from Sunday to Tuesday, and reports by tourism agencies point to an emerging preference for camping trips and outdoor sports in locations near large cities. A report by Mafengwo shows that 64% of travelers chose to spend 1-2 days camping, biking or hiking around in locations adjacent to major cities during their holidays.
Chain hotels in Thailand look beyond Chinese tourists for a post-pandemic rebound
Thailand's Tourism Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn expects the country to welcome between 7-10 million foreign tourists this year – an increase on the 6.9 million that visited in 2020, before the pandemic caused borders to slam shut, but still a fraction of 2019’s 39.9 million. Last year, just 427,000 foreigners visited. Chinese tourists remain notably absent from Thailand as China’s zero-Covid policy continues to deter international travel.
Ticket sales, hotel reservations suspended indefinitely as Shanghai Disneyland remains closed
Nearly two weeks after closing its gates amid a surge in COVID-19 infections in the region, Shanghai’s Disney resorts remain closed this weekend, with all ticket sales suspended until a reopening date is announced for the parks. The park first announced that Shanghai Disneyland, Disneytown and Wishing Star park would temporarily close March 21 “due to the current pandemic situation.”
