Beijing tightens entry restrictions for coming Spring Festival

Those arriving in Beijing around the Spring Festival will be subject to tighter COVID-19 precautions, including requirements of more nucleic acid tests, the municipal government said Wednesday.

Between Jan. 28 and March 15, travelers from domestic low-risk areas must provide negative nucleic acid results within seven days before arrival, and they must receive nucleic acid tests one week and two weeks after settling in Beijing, said Xu Hejian, the city government spokesperson.

The Chinese capital is declining entry to those from domestic medium and high-risk areas, while those entering the Chinese mainland via other cities must wait for 21 days before visiting Beijing, Xu said at a press conference.

The tightened entry rules come as increased travels around the Spring Festival, the most important homecoming occasion in China, added complications to Beijing's anti-virus efforts, the official added.

The municipal government on Wednesday also renewed calls for residents to avoid outbound travels during the festival to minimize infection risks and promised to offer shopping coupons and free data packages to those who choose to stay put.

Beijing reported four new locally transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases and one asymptomatic infection on Tuesday, the municipal health commission said. It added that all of the confirmed cases occurred in a residential community in Daxing District, where cluster cases had emerged lately.

The Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year, falls on Feb. 12 this year.