Divorce rate spikes across China after ‘couples spend too much time together during coronavirus home quarantine’
Divorce rates in China have risen significantly because ' couples are spending too much time together at home' during coronavirus self- isolation, according to register offices across the country.
Over 300 couples have scheduled appointments to get a divorce since February 24, said Lu Shijun, the manager of a marriage registry in Dazhou, Sichuan Province of south- western China. Officials believe the sharp increase of divorce requests could be caused by the fact that partners have spent too much time in close quarters under quarantine.
'The divorce rate [in the district] has soared compared to before [ the coronavirus outbreak],' Mr Lu told the local press yesterday.
'Young people are spending a lot of time at home. They tend to get into heated arguments because of something petty and rush into getting a divorce,' Mr Lu explained.
Another factor could be a result of delayed applications due to the council offices closing for nearly a month during the coronavirus epidemic.
Marriage registration offices in Xi'an of Shaanxi Province in north-western China have also seen an unprecedented rise of divorce appointments since re-opening on March 1, according to reports.
One district office received 14 requests in one day, hitting the upper limit set by the local council, a registration officer told Global Times.
Officials in Fuzhou, Fujian Province of southern China, have adjusted the number of divorce appointments to 10 couples a day after receiving an overwhelming amount of requests.
Scientists have been debating about whether spending time in close quarters is beneficial for couples.
A 2018 study found couples who lived together before marriage had lower divorce rates in the first year, compared to couples who didn't. But higher divorce rates appeared after people living with their spouses for five years or longer. Another research showed living together could protect lovers against getting a divorce.
Cities around China have ordered their citizens to self-isolate for over a month to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
The news comes as China sees only 8 new cases today, the lowest since the outbreak first started in January. Elsewhere, Coronavirus panic has tightened its grip worldwide yesterday as scores of countries dramatically upped their response to the deadly pandemic.
Nearly 133,000 people have been infected with the deadly disease worldwide. The death toll has also risen to 4,960. It has led to several countries being effectively put into lockdown as they closed schools, mass events and shops, while in the US, the mayor of New York declared a state of emergency in the city.
Millions are locked down and more than 1,000 people have died from the coronavirus in Italy. Prime Minister Boris Johnson today held an emergency meeting where he declared the UK's tactics will shift from 'containing' the killer disease to merely ' delaying' its inevitable spread.
He branded the coronavirus as the 'worst public health crisis in a generation' and warned that 'many more' people are going to die - but still held off implementing drastic measures. He said: 'At all stages we have been guided by the science. We will do the right thing at the right time.
'This is more dangerous [than seasonal flu] and it's going to spread further. And I must level with you and the British public: more families, many more families, are going to lose loved ones before their time.' A total of 596 people have tested positive for coronavirus in the UK, up from 456 on Wednesday, the Department of Health said. And two more patients have died in UK hospitals after testing positive for coronavirus, taking the total to 10, NHS England said.