Strict measures are also taken to reduce the movement of people during the Golden Week holidays in China

On the 11th in China, a large holiday will begin to coincide with the Chinese New Year's Spring Festival.

Severe measures have been taken to reduce the movement of people as a countermeasure against the new coronavirus, and it is likely to be an unusual consecutive holiday.

In China, which celebrates the New Year with the lunar calendar, the Chinese New Year will be celebrated on the 12th, and the Golden Week holidays will be held from the 11th to the 17th.

Every year, many people, such as returning workers and tourists, move around, but the Chinese government is calling for people to spend their time where they are to reduce the risk of infection.

On top of that, we are obliging people who return to rural areas to carry out PCR tests, and we are taking strict measures such as requesting tests and reports of their health status even after returning home.

As a result of these measures, the number of people who will move during the 40 days before and after the Chinese New Year is expected to reach a total of more than 1.1 billion, which is about 20% less than a year ago when the infection spread.

The impact on the economy is expected to be unavoidable, as the number of high-speed rail and airplane users will decrease significantly, and people are being called on to refrain from having dinner with many people.

In China, the number of people infected with the new coronavirus increased temporarily last month, but the number of people infected in the country continues to fall below 10 per day.

However, the government is nervous about the infection situation because it is planning to hold the National People's Congress, which is one of the most important political schedules, in Beijing from next month. Is likely to be an unusual holiday.

Encourage the use of the "health code" system

One of the measures that the government is strengthening to prevent the spread of infection is the use of a system called "health code" that indicates the risk of infection based on personal information and behavior history.

If you register personal information such as your name and phone number on your smartphone, the risk of infection will increase in three stages: "red", "yellow", and "green" in descending order of risk based on data such as the infection status of the area where you live. It is shown and has been in operation since last year, but its use is strongly encouraged before the Chinese New Year.

In Beijing, many eateries and commercial establishments are unable to enter without presenting a health code.

Also, when using the ride-hailing service, the health code is increasingly required to record the ride history.

The health code is also linked to the results of PCR tests and vaccination history, and is to be presented as needed when traveling home.

Preferential treatment for those who do not move during the Chinese New Year

Various incentives are also being implemented in various places for people who spend the Chinese New Year in their current location without going home.

In Beijing, major mobile phone companies offer services that provide 20 gigabytes of data communication free of charge.

The aim is to make it useful when exchanging video calls instead of going home.

In addition, digital money that can be used at some stores such as department stores, 200 RMB, and about 3200 yen in Japanese yen will be distributed to 50,000 people by lottery only before and after the Chinese New Year.

The distribution will be the electronic legal tender "Digital RMB", which the People's Bank of China is preparing to issue, and those who wish to apply will use the smartphone app.

In addition, some companies are focusing on initiatives for employees and customers who do not return home.

Among them, the major hot pot chain is special, such as calling on about 80,000 employees working in more than 800 stores in Japan not to go home and paying a part of the sales as a bonus to those who work during the period. We will provide you with an allowance.

In addition, a new touch screen monitor will be installed in the private room of the store so that customers can talk with family and friends in another remote store by videophone or play games that interact with each other. I try to enjoy the atmosphere of returning home online.

The manager of the hot pot chain said, "I think that many people will spend New Year's Eve in the place where they live in response to the government's call, but I think that you can feel the distance closer by connecting online."

Accelerate Chinese government vaccination

The Chinese government is accelerating vaccination against the new coronavirus in order to thoroughly control infections before the Chinese New Year.

In China, we started urgent use of vaccines for medical professionals in July last year, and expanded the scope to include logistics and public transportation staff in December.

The vaccines used were developed by Chinese pharmaceutical companies "Sinovac" and "Sinovac" respectively, and as of the 3rd of this month, the total number of vaccinations has exceeded 31 million.

In Beijing, vaccinations are being carried out at more than 200 places such as medical institutions and temporary venues, of which the temporary venue set up at a cultural facility was opened to foreign media last month.

Twenty booths were set up in the facility, and nurses were vaccinated one after another.

The woman who received the vaccination said, "I had a little pain for about an hour after the vaccination, but it had no effect on my work and life after that."

In the future, the Chinese government plans to expand the target to elderly people and aim for a state of "herd immunity" in which many people acquire immunity and the infection is less likely to spread.