Since mid-December, the average daily number of cases in China has risen from double digits to more than 20,000. At least 27 cities across the country are completely or partially blocked, affecting about 180 million people, according to CNN estimates. Some of the toughest measures apply to the country’s economic power, Shanghai, where many of its 25 million people have been locked up for more than a month, sparking outrage over China’s heavily policed internet. Government censors are struggling to keep up with the torrent of food shortages, lack of medical access and – for those who are positive – poor conditions in makeshift quarantine camps. Protests have even erupted – a rare sight in authoritarian China – and residents have clashed with police. The number of cases in Beijing remains low compared to Shanghai – 34 new cases were reported in the capital on Friday, bringing the total number of cases to 228 during the epidemic. But China is not taking any risks as it tries to stop the virus from spreading inside its political center.
Traveling to China
My trip to China this week was even more difficult than when I traveled to Beijing in February for the Winter Olympics, which took place under the strictest countermeasures in the world for Covid. Officials, media and athletes were then separated from the Chinese public by an extensive network of physical barriers, quarantine periods and regular Covid tests. Now, to get to China, I had to take three negative PCR tests from government-approved clinics, which were done seven days before departure and then another two within 48 hours of the flight. On the plane, all the flight attendants wore hazmat costumes, as did the staff at Kunming Airport. Upon landing, all the passengers on my flight were immediately directed to do another Covid test, a cotton swab from the nose and neck. Most of the passengers on the flight seemed to have Chinese passports. Foreigners can only enter under very limited conditions and it is extremely difficult for American journalists to obtain a visa for China due to the deterioration of US-China relations. Both countries agreed to ease visa restrictions for other journalists following a meeting between US President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping last November. I was granted a visa earlier this year after several rounds of interviews. However, when I handed in my US passport, the immigration officer spent several minutes flipping through the pages and then called a group of workers with the word “police” written on their uniforms. I seemed to be the only one from the flight that was pulled aside. I was taken to a private room for questioning and after a lengthy police interrogation about my professional and personal life, I was allowed to continue my immigration and customs. After clearing the immigration, I started a conversation with the man standing next to me as we waited to board the bus for the quarantine hotel. He is from Shanghai, but has lived in Japan for the past 30 years. He had not returned to China since the pandemic began, but eventually decided that the 21-day quarantine to enter the country was worth it to visit his elderly mother in Shanghai. The city is now under a weekly Covid lockdown, so his only option was to fly to Yunnan and wait for the situation to improve. China’s National Health Commission said on Friday that the “zero Covid-19 policy” had shown initial results in Shanghai and that the situation across the country was declining.
21 days in quarantine at a hotel
Not a single seat was empty on the bus and our luggage was stacked in the aisles. From the bus window, I watched Kunming, a city of 6.6 million people, spend the night – bright lights illuminating buildings and highways. After two to three hours of driving, we arrived at our quarantine site: a hot spring hotel converted into a quarantine facility. Workers in hazmat costumes accompanied me to my room. The next morning, I realized that my room overlooks a stunning view of Kunming – an area of green trees and mountains scattered across the horizon. Kunming is the capital of Yunnan Province, a popular tourist destination, famous for its beautiful scenery and tea-making areas. There is a balcony, but I can not get out. But I’m grateful for the view, and most importantly, the ability to open the window for fresh air – in some quarantine facilities that are prohibited. I can not open my door, except for health checks and food collection. I do two temperature tests a day and regular Covid tests, sometimes twice a day. Food deliveries are not allowed, but breakfast, lunch and dinner are included in the quarantine fee, which varies depending on the hotel you are going to – there is no choice where to go. Meals come in plastic containers, placed in a chair outside the door three times a day – usually rice, soup and fried meats and vegetables. I supplement the snack meals I brought from Tokyo after hearing about the inferior food in the quarantine hotels. Fortunately, I do not mind eating on my own. There is no fridge, microwave or laundry service in my room. Only one towel is distributed for all 21 days. I got my own yoga mat, skipping rope and weights for exercise. Despite the hot weather – it is around 85 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius) – the hotel will not turn on the air conditioning due to concerns about the Covid transmission. Assuming I continue to test negative, I may still not get to Beijing. If the capital enters a complete lockdown, all flights are likely to be canceled. Even before this latest outbreak, arrivals from parts of China considered “high-risk” had to spend another 14 days in government quarantine in Beijing. Fortunately, Yunnan is not one of them at the moment. Incoming domestic travelers from lower risk destinations must spend at least seven days locked in their homes to monitor their health. Chinese authorities have doubled Covid Zero’s policy on the grounds that it has allowed the country to avoid exploding deaths in other parts of the world and will save time vaccinating vulnerable groups such as the elderly and children. “If we lose control of Covid, a large number of people will become infected with many critical illnesses and deaths, causing the (medical) system to crash,” National Health Committee Vice President Li Bin said on Friday. But critics say politics is more about politics than science. President Xi has put his personal stamp on “Covid Zero” and officials have often used the low mortality rate to argue that China’s system is superior to the West, where restrictions have eased, reflecting rising vaccination rates. But in China, there are no signs of change and people are getting more and more tired. In the third year of the pandemic, China still refuses to live with Covid. No case is tolerated, regardless of cost.
