Thousands of Chinese tourists trapped in resort town after Covid shutdown

More than 2,000 tourists have become stranded in a resort town in southern China after authorities imposed a snap lockdown to curb a coronavirus flare-up, as the country’s stringent zero-Covid policy continues to upend businesses and daily life.

The city of Beihai, a popular summer holiday destination known for its white-sand beach and volcanic island in the Guangxi region, has reported more than 500 infections over the past week — a major outbreak by China’s standards.

On Saturday, the Beihai government locked down urban parts of the city — where its resorts and tourist attractions are located — ordered mass testing and banned residents from leaving their homes.

The sweeping Covid restrictions also reached Weizhou island, an outlying islet over an hour’s boat ride away that is popular for its scenic coastline and beaches. Starting from Friday, tourists were told to leave the island, while hotels and guesthouses were ordered to refund guests unconditionally.

On Sunday, Weizhou island shut all entertainment venues, from bars, cinemas and massage parlors to swimming pools. Scenic spots across the island were also closed.

At a news conference Sunday, local officials said the more than 2,000 tourists who were stranded in Beihai would be treated based on their levels of Covid risk: those who had not been to medium- or high-risk areas, and who were not identified as a direct or secondary contact of an infected person would be allowed to leave providing they could show a negative Covid test; others would have to stay in the city and undergo quarantine.

Two officials in the city were removed from their posts for not taking adequate measures to prevent the virus spreading, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2022/07/18/china/china-covid-beihai-tourists-trapped-intl-hnk/index.html