Prognosis
Rural China Braces for Covid Onslaught Over Lunar New Year
- State Council issues virus instructions to local officials
- Millions of people set to travel, raising risk of Covid spread
Travelers ahead of Lunar New Year holidays at Chengdu East Railway Station in Chengdu, Sichuan province, China, on Jan. 14.
Photographer: Qilai Shen/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
China is ramping up Covid preparations in rural areas ahead of Lunar New Year holidays that may unleash a surge in infections across some of the country’s poorest regions.
Local authorities must check in with vulnerable people during the festival that kicks off this weekend, including the elderly, pregnant, and those with underlying diseases, according to a notice issued by the State Council on Wednesday. Residents have also been asked to check in on their elderly neighbors, and group gatherings including dining and the traditional practice of coming together at village entrances must be limited, it said.