Corona and Flooding... China’s Disappointing Holiday Economy

7 New COVID-19 Cases Added in Beijing on the 28th...Total Confirmed Cases Now 318

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Park Sun-mi] Due to the impact of COVID-19 and floods, this year’s Dragon Boat Festival holiday (June 25-27) in China is being evaluated as having failed to bring the expected vitality to the Chinese economy.

According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China on the 29th, the total number of tourists nationwide during this Dragon Boat Festival holiday was 48.8 million, only half of last year’s holiday figure. During the same period, domestic tourism revenue in China recorded 12.3 billion yuan, a 69% decrease compared to the same period last year. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism explained the poor holiday economic performance by stating that "it was due to the combined effects of COVID-19 and floods."

However, seemingly concerned about expressing negative disappointment toward the Chinese economy, statements regarding the sharp decline in tourists and tourism revenue during the holiday were avoided, emphasizing instead that the tourism industry is in the process of returning to normal.

Beijing, which usually attracts many tourists during holidays, showed a very quiet scene this year due to a COVID-19 cluster infection incident related to the Xinfadi wholesale market for agricultural and aquatic products. The number of visitors to 161 tourist attractions in Beijing was only 1.35 million, a 77% decrease compared to one year ago. Beijing’s tourism revenue also dropped 76% to 72 million yuan.

Since a single COVID-19 case was confirmed on the 11th, Beijing has been struggling with control measures as new confirmed and asymptomatic cases have been reported daily.

On this day, the Beijing Municipal Health Commission (Weiguanwei) announced that as of midnight, 7 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, 4 suspected cases, and 1 asymptomatic infection were added. The cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 cases reported so far is 318, with 26 asymptomatic infections not included in the confirmed case statistics.

In Beijing, more than 100,000 students, staff, and teachers from over 100 educational institutions underwent nucleic acid testing to determine COVID-19 infection status the previous day. Since June 11, over 7 million people in Beijing have been tested for COVID-19 infection. The scope of nucleic acid testing has expanded beyond residents near the Xinfadi market to include banks, transportation facilities, restaurants, beauty salons, delivery services, and community workers in various sectors.

Not only Beijing but also nearby areas are tightening their alert status. Anxin County in Xiong’an New Area, Hebei Province, located 140 km from Beijing, began comprehensive lockdown management after more than ten confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported. Approximately 400,000 people in this area are currently under lockdown management.

The southern region has found normal economic activities difficult due to flooding. According to the China Meteorological Administration, a heavy rain warning has been issued for 27 consecutive days from June until now in the southern region. Most of the southern areas, including Sichuan Province, Guangdong Province, Guizhou Province, and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, have suffered flood damage, affecting approximately 14 million people.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.