Arrivals in Shenzhen from low-risk areas in China who hold a green health code will not be subject to mandatory quarantine during the Spring Festival, Luo Lexuan, head of the Shenzhen Municipal Health Commission, said Thursday.
[Photo: Nanfang Daily]
At a press conference held by the Shenzhen Municipal Government Information Office at the Civic Center in Futian CBD on Thursday, he called on residents to forgo large gatherings and to keep gatherings small during the festival.
People working in high-risk workplaces and businesses in the city need to take regular nucleic acid tests as required. People who leave Shenzhen for family reunions in their hometowns during the festival will be discouraged from returning to the city after the holiday ends if their hometowns are classified as medium- and high-risk areas, and are advised to come back after the risk level of the area is lowered, according to Luo.
Also at the conference, the city’s district-level governments announced a slew of measures to ensure a safe and happy festival for residents who will stay put for the festival in accordance with official recommendations to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Dai Jintao, head of Longgang District, one of the largest and most populated districts in Shenzhen, said the district will organize a variety of fun and engaging activities for residents, welcoming sightseers from all over the city.
The 2nd Dafen International Oil Painting Biennale will be held in Dafen Village during the festival, exhibiting 268 works from 61 countries.
The Gankeng Hakka Town will launch a number of cultural activities over the Spring Festival, including a lantern festival, Hakka-style kylin dances and dramas.
A book and painting fair, a prehistoric jade exhibition and a Hakka folk culture expo will be staged in the Hehu New Residence, one of the city’s most well-known tourist spots. Sports centers will remain open during the festival.
The district’s civil affairs department will hand out 3 million yuan (US$464,000) of subsidies for needy people and present free calling cards, Metro cards and shopping cards to more than 2,000 financially strapped migrant workers.
It is estimated that over 3 million residents will stay in Longgang during the holiday.
Residents staying put and living in rented government-subsidized apartments in Longhua District will be exempt from 30 percent of their monthly rent, according to Lei Weihua, the district head.
The government also advocates landlords to halve the rent or give the tenants a free extension of lease for more than half a month.
Longhua has handed out digital yuan red packets worth 20 million yuan for employees with the district’s business entities who stay in Shenzhen for the holiday, which can be used in 3,000 stores.
Dapeng New Area, which wins the favor of tourists because of its beautiful coastal scenery, advises travelers to book accommodation in advance. Drivers planning to visit Dapeng Peninsula during the festival need to make reservations as well.
