US asks citizens to avoid Shanghai, Hong Kong, Jilin on arbitrary COVID rules

The US State Department has advised Americans to reconsider travelling to China and avoid visiting viral hotspots like Shanghai owing to what it claims “arbitrary implementation” of Covid-19 restrictions during the country’s worst outbreak.

In a travel alert released on Friday, Washington singled out Hong Kong, Jilin Province in north-eastern China, and Shanghai as areas Americans should avoid visiting “due to Covid-19-related restrictions, including the risk of parents and children being separated.”

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Employees and family members of the US consulate in Shanghai who are not in an emergency are also permitted to leave. On Friday, the city reported almost 23,600 new cases.

According to a US embassy spokesperson, the US embassy in China has informed Chinese officials of the voluntary departure choice and expressed concerns about the ongoing outbreak and Beijing’s Covid reaction.

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The decision to enable the voluntary departure of US consulate personnel in Shanghai and prevent Americans from visiting China’s megacities Shanghai and Hong Kong may worsen tensions between the world’s two largest economies, which are already high due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

China is battling the hyper-infectious omicron variant with city-wide lockdowns and frequent mass testing as it adheres to a zero-tolerance policy. The policy, known as Covid Zero, has grown less effective in reducing domestic flareups due to the increasing contagiousness of new variations and is increasingly disruptive to economic operations and people’s lives. Because of China’s adherence to it, the country has become increasingly isolated in a world that has mostly moved toward reopening borders and living with the virus.

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The lockdown of 25 million people in Shanghai and another 24 million in Jilin Province fueled growing frustration and resentment among locals trapped in their homes, as food supplies ran out and others struggled to get timely treatment. In recent days, officials have promised better help for individuals under lockdown and reaffirmed the necessity to maintain the Covid Zero strategy in the face of mounting public concern that it is causing more harm than good.