Chinese to hit the road again on first national holiday since lockdown

China is gearing up for its first national holiday after months of lockdowns, with authorities lowering the emergency response level for Beijing just in time to allow freer travel. On Wednesday, authorities announced a downgrade of the emergency response level governing Hebei province and the municipalities of Beijing and Tianjin, from Thursday. The measures will allow tens of millions of people to leave their cities without having to undergo 14 days of strict home quarantine on their return.

Arrivals from low-risk areas of China also no longer need to complete two weeks’ home isolation in Beijing, and anyone from those areas currently in quarantine, either at home or in facilities, can stop on Thursday, reported the official state media agency, Xinhua. Quarantine obligations still apply to arrivals from overseas, Hubei province, and other medium to high-risk areas.

The relaxation comes on the eve of the five-day national Labour Day holiday, and triggered an immediate jump in tourism-related bookings, although numbers were still well below the same period last year. The Chinese ministry of transport said it expected 117 million people to travel during the holiday.

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