China's COVID surge cast a shadow over Lunar New Year travel rush, but there are signs of hope

Tokyo — Celebrations are underway all over the world this week as Asians mark the Lunar New Year. It's always the most festive time of the year in China, but that's especially true this year. After Beijing suddenly dropped virtually all of its draconian COVID-19 restrictions for the first time since 2020, millions of people headed home to their towns and villages, taking full advantage of their new-found freedom.

But the vast holiday migration came hard on the heels of a surge in coronavirus cases across China. Public health officials warned the travellers might carry the virus into remote regions and precipitate another killer wave of infections. 

In his New Year video address, President Xi Jinping admitted that China's most recent COVID surge had been fierce and fast, and it was no understatement.