80,000 tourists stranded on Chinese island after COVID-19 cases emerged

More than 80,000 tourists were stranded on the island of Hainan in southern China, after discovering infections with the Corona virus, prompting the authorities to cancel all flights and suspend the sale of train tickets locally.

On Sunday, 483 cases of coronavirus were announced in the coastal city of Sanya, which has a population of more than one million, located on Hainan Island, nicknamed "Chinese Hawaii".

Over the weekend, all flights from Sina, a popular spot for surfers in particular, were canceled, and the sale of train tickets was suspended.

And the health authorities announced that tourists who want to leave must take five negative tests for the Corona virus within seven days.

A representative of the local authorities announced in a press conference Saturday that hotels will offer their customers a 50 percent price reduction until travel restrictions are lifted.

Entertainment venues such as spas and bars have been closed since last week, but essential services such as supermarkets and pharmacies remain open in the city.

China is the only major economy in the world that continues to implement the "zero Covid" strategy, by imposing closures and long quarantines, which harms domestic tourism.

The country's borders have remained almost completely closed since the beginning of 2020, preventing the entry of foreign visitors.

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