Sanya: Covid lockdown strands tourists on 'China's Hawaii' | BBC News:
August 7, 2022 "More than 80,000 tourists have been left stranded in a popular resort in China after a coronavirus outbreak sparked a lockdown. Authorities cancelled all flights and trains from Sanya, known as 'China's Hawaii, on Saturday, a day after 263 positive cases were confirmed. Travellers must now present five negative PCR tests over seven days before being allowed to leave....
"The restrictions on Sanya, a city on the southern Hainan Island and a popular surfing destination, come during the peak tourist season. Essential services such as supermarkets and pharmacies remain open, but entertainment venues have been closed since last week."
Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-62455908
Sanya Covid lockdown: Escaping to 'China's Hawaii' only to face fresh curbs |BBC News - Melissa Zhu:
August 8 - "Kyle Newton was hoping for a break in the resort of Sanya on Hainan island - known as "China's Hawaii" - after enduring a harsh two-month Covid lockdown in Shanghai. His Hainan trip was due to last less than a week and was the teacher's first holiday in China since arriving just as the pandemic broke out.... But on Saturday, after 263 positive cases were confirmed in Sanya, authorities cancelled all flights and trains out of the city.
"On Monday the lockdown was extended to cover several cities after 504 cases were recorded on the island. The provincial capital Haikou - with a population of nearly three million - has been locked down and about seven million people have been told not to leave home except for food and Covid tests, state media said. Smaller towns Wuzhishan, Ledong and Chengmai are also locked down....
"Travellers must now present five negative PCR tests over seven days before they can leave - if they are able to book a flight out.... Mr Newton, from the UK, says he has had to queue for about two hours every morning to get a Covid test, which means he's been forced to cancel work meetings.... While those whose flights were cancelled on Saturday were reportedly offered free hotel rooms, Mr Newton said the hotel only offered him a 50% discount on the room rate for extending his stay due to the lockdown....
"Brian Hall, a professor at New York University Shanghai, also said it was unclear how long guests would have to remain in their rooms. His room is booked until Wednesday, and there has been no confirmation of the arrangement after this, he said. Dr Hall said it was his fourth period of confinement this year alone. Just four days after Shanghai lifted its lockdown at the beginning of June, Dr Hall's residential area was sealed again for another two weeks due to a suspected close contact case in a neighbouring compound. When he was allowed out, he immediately travelled to Sanya, where he had to do 10 days of quarantine.....
"Meanwhile, for residents such as Simon Vericel, the food supply remains 'annoying but so far not impossible'.... The Frenchman, who is a managing director for a PR firm, said they had been able to get food through delivery apps - but it can take more than 12 hours to arrive. Still, Mr Vericel says he has suffered minimally compared to tourists."
Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-62461248
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