China's state planner on Sunday urged local governments to minimise the impact from COVID-19 restrictions over the upcoming Chinese New Year holiday to help a rebound in consumption, as rising cases of the Omicron variant threaten economic growth.
"Local governments should avoid simplified, one-size-fits-all... Covid-19 epidemic and control measures (over the holiday) and minimise the impact on the people's life," the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said in a statement.
It said low-risk places in China should meet the reasonable demand for short trips from urban and rural residents, and step up the supply of everyday products over the holiday period.
Local governments are on high alert to potential Covid-19 cases from outside, with many urging residents to stay put for the third straight year during what is usually the busiest travel period of the year.
However, some Beijing residents, concerned about being trapped in the city for the upcoming week-long Lunar New Year holiday, are rushing to travel back home early because of the Omicron case.
China on Sunday reported 65 locally transmitted Covid-19 cases for Jan 15, including the first Omicron case in Beijing, just weeks from the Feb 4 start of the city’s Winter Olympic Games and the country’s Lunar New Year holiday.
That was down from 104 comparable cases a day earlier, as the outbreak in the north-western city of Xi'an winds down after strict lockdowns.
But the highly transmissible Omicron variant has been detected in at least five provinces and municipalities, prompting cities to impose curbs to stop its spread and threatening to further undercut slowing economic growth.
About 13,000 people have been tested for Covid-19 in the Haidian district where the case was discovered, but none of the results came back positive, Beijing Daily, a government newspaper, cited official data as saying on Sunday.
However, some religious sites in the city were already being closed to visitors as a precautionary measure.
Lama Temple, a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in central Beijing, said on Sunday it was closing down for an unspecified period due to Covid-19 epidemic and control measures. ■