The US Embassy has urged Americans not to travel to China

The U.S. Embassy in Beijing is urging U.S. citizens to postpone travel to and within China as the country continues to implement strict “zero-Covid” policies that risk restricting access to essential goods such as food, water and medicine.

The rapidly changing situation with Covid-19 in China and Beijing’s continued enforcement of strict policies to prevent the spread of the virus could lead to disruptions in food, water, medicine and other supplies, the embassy said in a Nov. 30 advisory. Essentials.

Ambassador Nicholas Burns He said in a Twitter post The embassy is monitoring the COVID situation across China and assisting US citizens who are “experiencing challenges due to lockdowns and restrictions.”

This comes as authorities continue to impose various COVID-19 prevention and control measures, including mass testing and quarantine, as the number of infections in China remains at an all-time high.

Travel within China is “extremely difficult,” while rules related to COVID-19 containment are changing frequently, the embassy said. It warned that Chinese authorities could force people to stay in their homes for long periods of time without any warning.

“Access to medical care may be limited due to the lockdowns,” the embassy said, while the ability of US citizens to leave China is “limited and expensive.”

The embassy advised Americans to postpone travel to and from China unless their travel is essential.

“If you are concerned about your safety at this time, please consider returning to the United States,” it added.

The travel advisory followed a recommendation two days earlier that Americans keep a two-week emergency supply of medicine, food and bottled water on hand.

Epidemic control workers stand guard outside a community during lockdown in Beijing on November 29, 2022. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

Some cities in China are easing Covid-19 restrictions

Some Chinese cities have announced they are easing their COVID-19 restrictions following widespread protests.

Overall, however, Chinese officials have said they will continue with their “dynamic zero-Covid” policy and have given no indication of when the strict measures will end.

In Guangzhou, a manufacturing hub near Hong Kong, local health officials announced on November 30 that they were lifting lockdowns in many parts of the city, but said areas of the city designated as “high risk” would remain under lockdown.

Guangzhou authorities also announced they would stop ordering district-wide mass COVID-19 testing.

In Zhengzhou, home to a major assembly plant that makes Apple’s iPhones, businesses including supermarkets, libraries, gyms and restaurants have been allowed to operate since Nov. 30, after local officials said measures would be taken to combat Covid-19. in place.

In Shanghai, health officials announced on Wednesday that they will lift control measures in 24 “high-risk” areas from December 1.

Southwest China’s mega city of Chongqing and China’s capital, Beijing, have also relaxed their restrictions.

Epoch Times photo
Police and people are seen clashing during a protest against China’s zero covid policy in Shanghai on November 27, 2022. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images)

objections

Protests erupted across China over the weekend of November 26-27, fueled in part by anger over a deadly fire in China’s far-western Xinjiang region that killed an officially reported 10 people.

Claims by protesters and online forums that local COVID-19 restrictions prevented residents from escaping the fire and delayed first responders from arriving at the scene.

Local authorities denied that the anti-virus had contributed in any way to the death toll, blaming abandoned vehicles on the streets for blocking access to firefighting vehicles.

But critics disputed the official story, arguing in online forums that Covid-19-related restrictions on movement had led to cars being abandoned on the streets, while generally expressing frustration with the country’s strict virus policies.

Protesters used the rallies to make more demands than an end to the lockdown measures – some called for political reforms, including the resignation of Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Since the deadly fire, 51 public protests have taken place in 24 cities across China. According to The most recent figure comes from Nathan Rooser, a researcher at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.

Frank Fong contributed to this report.

Tom Ozimek

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Tom Ozimek is a senior reporter for The Epoch Times. She has an extensive background in journalism, deposit insurance, marketing and communications, and adult education.

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