Emotion in China: Families reunited after 3 years separated due to coronavirus

Many of its citizens are excited China who after the lifting of the measures against him coronavirus they can now be reunited with their families whom they had not seen for three whole years.

Chu Wenhong used to go to Shanghai and visit her parents at least once a year since she moved to Singapore in 1994.

But for the past three years it has been unable to do so because of China’s “zero COVID” policy, which has included mass PCR testing, extensive lockdowns and quarantine for everyone coming from abroad, including expatriate Chinese like Chu.

The last time the 54-year-old visited her special homeland was in November 2019, a month before the world’s first outbreak of COVID was detected in the city of Wuhan in central China.

Quarantine in a hotel

China had imposed quarantine for all those arriving from abroad since March 2020. The measure had discouraged business travel to China and kept families separated for years, as travelers had to stay at their own expense in a hotel room for two to three weeks.

And even for those willing to endure hotel quarantine, tickets were often unavailable or too expensive as Beijing drastically reduced the number of inbound flights in an effort to prevent COVID-19 cases from entering the country.

“China remained closed after Singapore reopened, so to return travelers had to take PCR tests, undergo quarantine, and airfares skyrocketed. There were too many obstacles,” said Chu.

Chou, as reported by the Athens News Agency, said she missed her parents, her 83-year-old father and 78-year-old mother, and was worried about their declining health. Her biggest wish is to spend as much time as possible with them this time.

“I haven’t seen them in three years, they both got COVID and are quite old. I really feel quite lucky that they didn’t go through it too seriously, but their health is not very good. I want to come home and see them as soon as possible,” he said.

She said she was excited to be back in her native country shortly after landing at Shanghai’s Pudong Airport yesterday. “I’m so happy because I’ve been looking forward to this for three whole years. I want to see my mother as much as I can,” he said.

Her mother, Chao Yafang, was equally relieved to be reunited with her daughter. “She’s almost the same as she is on the video call. Now that I have her in front of me, my heart has calmed down.”