Tens of millions of Chinese people traveled to their rural hometowns today to celebrate the Lunar New Year, but President Xi Jinping expressed concern about the ability of the countryside to withstand a Covid surge.
One of the largest global mass migrations of people is expected to occur this month and into February, according to China's transport officials, which anticipate that over two billion trips would be made.
However, it is anticipated that the flight from Covid's hard-hit large towns may result in an increase in cases in underdeveloped rural areas.
According to officials, 480 million people had traveled throughout the nation as of Wednesday, a significant rise from the same period last year.
The principal train stations in Beijing and Shanghai saw large crowds on Thursday, and many passengers told AFP they were happy to be returning home — some for the first time in years.
An employee named Chen from Shanghai who was returning to the city of Wenzhou in the southeast told AFP, "I don't care anymore, that's how I feel."
She stated, "Last year I was very cautious, and this year I feel lot braver."
Ren, a representative for social media influencers, declared, "I haven't visited home in three years."
Because of Covid, he claimed, "My pay hasn't been that high, and occasionally I don't even get to go to work."
"I desired to be with my loved ones. Regardless of my financial situation, I want to visit them,” Ren threw in.
Giving my parents a hug when I get home is something I'll absolutely do.
Others, including two young ladies in their 20s who were dressed in hazmat suits, seemed more worried about the coronavirus.
One person added, "We're a little concerned the illness will be more contagious during the Chinese New Year travel rush."
We got (hazmat suits) because we were concerned it would harm our family because we were returning home.
Similar worries about the outbreak's effects on rural communities around the holidays have been voiced by China's leader.
China's rigorous virus limits were loosened last month, according to state news agency Xinhua, and "Xi said he was mostly concerned about rural areas and rural populations after the country changed its Covid-19 response measures."
According to Xinhua, he "emphasized measures to improve medical care for those most at risk for the virus in rural areas."
Speaking on the need to "fix the weaknesses in epidemic prevention and control in rural areas," Xi was quoted as stating, "Epidemic prevention and control has entered a new stage, and we are still in a period that requires significant efforts."
The government announced that it would increase efforts to calm "gloomy attitudes" online on the outbreak after a trying month in which cases spiked nationally.
A campaign to spread "fabricated patient experiences" online and "boost the rectification of epidemic-related online misinformation" was launched by China's internet police on Wednesday.
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