As China's zero-covid policies end, its travel season begins

WAMU 88.5

Published January 18, 2023 at 9:03 AM EST

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Passengers queue to pass through customs after arriving at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport in China's eastern Zhejiang province.

China’s rigid system of covid lockdowns, mandatory hospitalizations, and mass testing abruptly stopped last month.

China’s leader Xi Jinping announced an end to the country’s zero-covid policy. Since then, China has experienced a surge in covid cases and deaths.

This comes at the same time as Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival. It’s the busiest travel season in China. More than 2 billion trips around China are expected in the weeks around the holiday.

We talk about the effect the absence of regulations could have on the population this travel season.