China Urges Residents to Avoid Travel as Holidays Approaches

China urged residents of the country’s higher-risk Covid areas not to travel unless necessary as the country goes into new year and spring festival holidays.

High-risk workers including those at customs, medical facilities and imported frozen-food factories should also avoid traveling during the holidays unless they have to leave the place of employment for longer than 14 days, the National Health Commission said at a press conference Saturday. All travelers are required to have had Covid tests 48 hours before departing, according to the commission.

Beijing will maintain strict Covid control rules in risky areas as well as Beijing, where the Winter Olympics are scheduled to be held, a commission official said.

China added 89 locally transmitted confirmed coronavirus cases Friday, and currently has 69 communities or areas categorized as medium or high risk.

Agencies