Covid-hit Beijing returns to work after 5-day break

This year, travellers spent 43 per cent less than in 2021, data shows

Beijing returned to work yesterday after a five-day Labour Day holiday devoid of the usual trips across the country or lavish family dinners, as China’s capital tried to eradicate a Covid outbreak of dozens of new cases a day.

The long break is usually one of the most lucrative times of the year for restaurants, hotels and other businesses in China.

This year, travellers spent 43 per cent less than in 2021, data showed yesterday.

It was the latest sign of the pain caused by various degrees of Covid curbs imposed on dozens of major population centres across the country, including the strict citywide lockdown the commercial hub of Shanghai has endured for more than a month.

Authorities in Beijing are determined to avoid having to go down a similar path.

Less hectic

The capital’s streets were slightly less hectic than on a normal working day as officials encouraged people to work from home. The closure of scores of bus routes and more than 10 per cent of subway stops has also complicated commuting.

Still, many trains looked crowded and office districts were busy. Many people took to bicycles to get around.

“Right now, I feel relatively safe at work and where I live, but I don’t dare to run around outside because I still feel the outbreak hasn’t reached its peak,” said cook Liu Wentao.

Beijing was doing better two weeks into its outbreak than Shanghai did at that point, when daily cases were in the hundreds and rising.

Some isolated lockdowns of residential buildings and the closure of gyms, restaurants and other venues remained in force, however — with residents desperately hoping such moves would suffice.

The uncompromising “zero-Covid” policy taken by China, where the virus was first identified in the central city of Wuhan in late 2019, increasingly contrasts with the attitude of the rest of the world which is trying to live with the disease. China’s stance threatens its official growth target of around 5.5 per cent this year and reverberations across the global economy and trade.