(CNN) – Li Zefeng, an engineer living in China’s largest city, said: “I chose to go to Sanya because Covid restrictions are more comfortable than (in) Shanghai.
But he, like many others flocking to the resort island off the southern coast of China, will soon reap the rewards.
However, the holiday season took a hit last week, when 1,200 people at the resort center of Sanya tested positive for the coronavirus.
For many travelers, that means not only frantically calling family and changing their travel plans, but also dealing with a case of deja vu – many people visiting Hainan are looking for relief from the strict lockdowns in Shanghai.
When Covid cases are detected in Hainan, act quickly.
Local authorities have sealed off the city of Sanya, home to about one million residents, in addition to 80,000 tourists. Flights leaving the island have been cancelled, public transport has been shut down and many visitors are confined to their hotels.
While an excuse to spend more time on the beach can be a bargain, holidaymakers know they still have to pay 50% of the room rate at their resorts, which not everyone can afford. Okay. And that doesn’t include extra costs like meals or the cost of missing work.
Under the lockdown, visitors are told they must stay on the island for a week and present proof of five negative Covid tests before being allowed to leave.
Although the local government said that they would provide hotel and meal assistance to all those experiencing inconvenience due to the lockdown, some took to social networking sites such as Weibo to complain that the help was insufficient.
As China’s borders remain essentially closed, many Chinese have chosen to travel domestically since the pandemic began, and Hainan – with its sun, sand and duty-free shopping – is one of them. most popular destinations.
CNN’s Nectar Gan contributed reporting.
