Tourists trapped on highway for DAYS after sudden spike in Covid cases

A spike in Covid cases and border restrictions left thousands of tourists stranded on a Chinese highway for days on end.

China's Covid-zero policy is being put to the test, with cases continuing to climb every single day. Earlier this month, Covid cases were identified in Tibet for the first time since 2020.

In hopes of preventing the spread, Chinese provinces blocked access from Tibet and as a result, people were left stranded on the highway, at the borders.

Thousands of tourists are not allowed to sightsee within Tibet and some are barred from returning home until it can be confirmed they don't have Covid-19.

A spokesperson for the Tibetan government said there were some 4500 tourists stranded in the region over the weekend, the ABC reported.

For three days, blogger Shouxin was stuck on the G214 highway in China, the ABC reported. She then had to drive for hours to a hotel so she could complete seven days of quarantine.

"We really do not know what to do," one stranded tourist wrote on Chinese social media, according to The Guardian.

"We, as tourists, do not know why we have been stranded. We really feel the physical and mental exhaustion, helplessness, and there is no way to ask for help."

To leave Tibet, tourists are required to test negative for Covid-19 twice within three consecutive days and then test negative on a rapid test at the airport, the ABC reported.

Tibet isn't the only place in China where tourists were left stranded due to Covid-19.

Earlier in August, the southern Chinese beach resort of Sanya was declared a Covid hotspot and as a result, 80,000 tourists were stuck in lockdown.

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China still dedicated to Covid-zero approach

On Wednesday, China reported 1744 new Covid-19 infections, and on Tuesday, there were over 1800 cases reported.

Since the start of the pandemic, there have been over 5000 Covid-related deaths.

China's ruling Communist Party sticks steadfastly to a "zero-Covid" approach that is increasingly at odds with the rest of the world.

The approach has resulted in tough lockdowns impacting millions, while the rest of the world, for the most part, learns to live with the virus.

Reduced case numbers and public outcry has resulted in some measures being dialled back.

China largely closed its borders after the virus was first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019.

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