CORONAVIRUS

Covid lockdown strands 80,000 tourists in ‘China’s Hawaii’

Aug 7, 2022, 6:58 PM

People line up for nucleic acid testing in Sanya, 'China's Hawaii', on August 6. (VCG/Getty Images)...

People line up for nucleic acid testing in Sanya, 'China's Hawaii', on August 6. (VCG/Getty Images)

(VCG/Getty Images)

(CNN) — Around 80,000 tourists are stranded in the popular resort city of Sanya on China’s tropical Hainan island after authorities announced lockdown measures to stem an outbreak of Covid-19.

Public transportation was suspended and people’s movements inside the city were restricted from early Saturday morning, authorities said. Stranded tourists are required to stay for seven days and clear five Covid-19 tests before leaving.

Deputy mayor He Shigang on Friday said around 80,000 tourists remained in the city. All those currently in Sanya as well as people who have been to the city since July 23 were not allowed to leave Hainan province after 6pm local time on Saturday, provincial authorities said.

The restrictions come at the height of the summer tourism season for the island province, a popular destination often called China’s Hawaii for its sandy beaches, tropical forests and high-end hotels.

Over 80% of flights leaving Sanya were cancelled on Saturday, according to data from flight tracking company Variflight. All trains departing from Sanya were canceled, state broadcaster CCTV said Saturday.

Authorities in Sanya acknowledged the inconvenience to tourists and pledged during a Saturday afternoon press conference to do their best to solve issues that arise, including streamlining travel booking cancellations and offering half-price discounts on hotel stays for stranded tourists in Sanya.

The city was divided into high and medium risk zones, with control measures varying depending on risk-level, according to local officials. The whole city, however, was considered under “static management” — an official term used to describe the deployment of lockdown measures.

The city, which lies at the southern tip of Hainan island, has recorded 827 cases between August 1 and midnight on Saturday, including 240 confirmed cases and 173 asymptomatic infections on Saturday, according to an announcement from provincial health authorities Sunday morning. China counts symptomatic and asymptomatic cases separately.

Saturday’s numbers make the outbreak the most severe in China, which reported a total of 736 confirmed and asymptomatic local cases nationally for that day.

Authorities have said they detected the highly transmissible Omicron BA.5.1.3 subvariant in the outbreak, which they believe was spread to the island via contact with overseas seafood dealers in Sanya’s Yazhou fishing port.

Hainan’s provincial authorities on Saturday also announced province-wide nucleic acid testing for its population of 10 million, as cases have been reported in other parts of the island.

Another city in Hainan, Danzhou, announced partial lockdown measures for its roughly 1 million residents on Saturday afternoon, according to an official bulletin, while authorities in Qionghai city on Sunday announced a raft of measures, closing most non-essential businesses and ordering its half a million residents to stay home unless necessary, effective that morning, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

The latest measures come as China’s economy struggles under its stringent “zero-Covid” policy, in which it aims to suppress the spread of infection via lockdowns, mass testing and tough border controls.


The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.

KSL 5 TV Live

Coronavirus

FILE: Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 (left) and Moderna COVID-19 (right) vaccines are seen at a vaccinati...

Zeke Miller, AP White House Correspondent

US to lift most federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates next week

The Biden administration will end the last remaining federal COVID-19 vaccine requirements next week when the national public health emergency for the coronavirus ends.

11 months ago

A general view of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta...

Brenda Goodman, CNN

CDC set to stop tracking community levels for Covid-19

As the nation's public health emergency expires on May 11, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will stop reporting its color-coded Covid-19 Community Levels as a way to track the spread of the infection.

11 months ago

Pharmacist Patricia Pernal administers the newest COVID-19 vaccine during a clinic for seniors at t...

Tami Luhby

New White House plan aims to provide uninsured with free COVID-19 vaccines

The Biden administration unveiled Tuesday a $1.1 billion program aimed at providing COVID-19 vaccines and treatments to the uninsured at no cost after the federal supply is exhausted.

12 months ago

Shen Hongbing, the director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, speaks at a p...

Joe McDonald

China health officials lash out at WHO, defend virus search

Chinese health officials defended their search for the source of the COVID-19 virus on Saturday.

12 months ago

Intermountain Medical Center (KSL TV)...

Emily Ashcraft

Pandemic led to increase in rate and severity of depression, Intermountain study says

The COVID-19 pandemic had a large impact on mental health, specifically depression, an Intermountain Health study using research from thousands Utah patients found.

1 year ago

FILE PHOTO (KSL-TV)...

Emily Ashcraft

Masks no longer required at Intermountain Health facilities, 3 years after pandemic started

Intermountain Health announced wearing masks will become optional for visitors and patients beginning March 15, following an anticipated decline in respiratory illnesses.

1 year ago

Sponsored Articles

Stack of old laptops with dark background...

PC Laptops

Old Laptop Upgrades You Need to Try Before Throwing it Away

Get the most out of your investment. Try these old laptop upgrades before throwing it out to keep it running fast and efficient.

Happy diverse college or university students are having fun on their graduation day...

BYU MBA at the Marriott School of Business

How to Choose What MBA Program is Right for You: Take this Quiz Before You Apply!

Wondering what MBA program is right for you? Take this quiz before you apply to see if it will help you meet your goals.

Close up of an offset printing machine during production...

Les Olson IT

Top 7 Reasons to Add a Production Printer to Your Business

Learn about the different digital production printers and how they can help your company save time and money.

vintage photo of lighting showroom featuring chandeliers, lamps, wall lights and mirrors...

Lighting Design

History of Lighting Design | Over 25 Years of Providing Utah With the Latest Trends and Styles

Read about the history of Lighting Design, a family-owned and operated business that paved the way for the lighting industry in Utah.

Fiber Optical cables connected to an optic ports and Network cables connected to ethernet ports...

Brian Huston, CE and Anthony Perkins, BICSI

Why Every Business Needs a Structured Cabling System

A structured cabling system benefits businesses by giving you faster processing speeds and making your network more efficient and reliable.

notebook with password notes highlighted...

PC Laptops

How to Create Strong Passwords You Can Actually Remember

Learn how you can create strong passwords that are actually easy to remember! In a short time you can create new ones in seconds.

Covid lockdown strands 80,000 tourists in ‘China’s Hawaii’