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China expected to see surge in Lunar New Year travel after lifting Covid restrictions
- The transport ministry is expecting travel numbers to rebound but warned of the challenge it faces in guaranteeing food and medicine supplies
- The country is likely to see a rise in infections during the holiday season and transport workers may have to enter a closed-loop system
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Jane Caiin Beijing
China’s transport authorities expect to see “substantial growth” in the number of people travelling during Lunar New Year following the lifting of many Covid-19 restrictions, but have warned they face a daunting task in keeping passengers and vital supplies on the move amid an expected spike in infections.
The Spring Festival falls on January 22 next year. The holiday typically sees the biggest annual human migration on earth, known as the chunyun.
Ordinarily, people from all walks of life leave the big cities where they work and return to their hometowns and villages.
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More than 3 billion trips were recorded in 2019, but this fell to 1 billion trips this year as people were discouraged by Covid curbs and official calls to “reduce all unnecessary trips.
But now many control measures – including mass PCR tests, quarantine and health codes – have been lifted, and the transport ministry’s website said it expected a surge in demand during the 40-day travel season that begins on January 7.
But the ministry warned the authorities face a major challenge in ensuring that key supplies – including food, medicines, coal and other resources – remain available as traffic increases and infections surge.
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