Xi Jinping has stated he’s “concerned” in regards to the virus scenario within the Chinese countryside, state media reported, as hundreds of thousands of individuals head to rural hometowns forward of upcoming Lunar New Year celebrations.

The Chinese chief additionally defended his zero-Covid coverage — lifted final month after crippling the economic system and sparking nationwide protests — saying it had been “the right choice”.

In a collection of calls Wednesday forward of the vacation, the Chinese chief informed native officers he fearful in regards to the scenario within the nation’s rural hinterlands.

“Xi said he was primarily concerned about rural areas and rural residents after the country adjusted its Covid-19 response measures,” state information company Xinhua reported.

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He “stressed efforts to improve medical care for those most vulnerable to the virus in rural areas,” Xinhua stated.

“Epidemic prevention and control has entered a new stage, and we are still in a period that requires great efforts,” Xi was reported as saying, stressing the necessity to “address the shortcomings in epidemic prevention and control in rural areas”.

Transport authorities have predicted that greater than two billion journeys shall be made throughout a 40-day interval between January and February — almost double final yr’s quantity and 70 % of pre-pandemic ranges.

State media reported that 30.2 million individuals travelled nationwide on Wednesday alone.

The monumental migration — one of many world’s largest — is broadly anticipated to deliver a surge in virus circumstances to China’s under-resourced countryside.

Beijing final month lifted a hardline virus coverage that noticed the state impose grueling lockdowns and obligatory mass testing, hammering China’s economic system and sending tons of onto the streets in protests.

Xi defended that powerful technique on Wednesday, insisting zero-Covid had been “the right choice” and had allowed the nation to battle “several rounds of outbreaks of virus mutations”.